Director:
Mafanta Sangaray
Under-Secretary-General:
Rishi Gokhale
The First Sudanese Civil War broke out in 1955 shortly before Sudan gained independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule as a result of tensions between the northern government and the predominantly southern populace. The conflict which lasted until 1972 destroyed communities throughout southern Sudan forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes and depriving millions of access to basic necessities like food, sanitary facilities and healthcare. Vulnerable populations experienced widespread illness, malnutrition and a lack of clean water and entire regions were cut off from medical services.
Delegates from the World Health Organization will represent global health leaders, international aid agencies and health officials entrusted with addressing an escalating public health and humanitarian crisis. Delegates are responsible for coordinating emergency medical responses, preventing the spread of infectious diseases and creating plans to deliver medical assistance in regions impacted by political unrest and conflict. They have to manage the political conflicts between the southern rebel movements and the Sudanese government at the same time.
The international community is confronted with important questions as the war rages on: How can healthcare systems be assisted in areas devastated by conflict? What role should international health organizations play when political tensions restrict access to vulnerable populations and can coordinated humanitarian efforts stop the crisis from escalating into a full-scale regional catastrophe?