Amnesty International share biggest human rights concerns

Amnesty International has delivered an assessment of human rights in 155 countries in 2023-2024 and as well shared their biggest concerns. Their assessment indicates that 2023 saw escalating conflicts causing a near breakdown of international law.

Amnesty International argues that powerful governments cast humanity into an era devoid of effective international rule of law, with civilians in conflicts paying the highest price, and rapid changes in artificial intelligence created fertile ground for discrimination, racism, and division.

According to Amnesty International researcher Abdullahi Hassan who is also a Kenyan lawyer and a human rights advocate, there were many situations that were challenging, but the most striking one was the eruption of the large-scale conflict in Sudan.

This conflict has had a devastating impact on civilians: 12,000 people were killed in 2023 and more than 8 million displaced making Sudan the largest internal displacement crisis in the world.

As of March 2024, more than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished and 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The whole country is now on the brink of collapse.

Asked how he felt working on the case, Abdullahi Hassan says:

"I feel completely heartbroken by the horrific events unfolding in Sudan. Hundreds of Sudanese I interviewed told me devastating stories on how their dreams were shattered. It has been honestly exhausting to track all the violations and abuses that occurred in Sudan in 2023. The people of Sudan deserve better."

Abdullahi Hassan's work involve investigating conflict-related and other human rights violations and abuses in Sudan and Somalia. He monitors, documents and reports on these abuses for Amnesty International. He also advocates with various actors including governments, regional and international bodies such as the UN and the African Union.

Abdullahi Hassan says there are many human rights challenges in East African region. These include suppression of civic space, inequalities, devastating impact of climate change and conflict-related human rights violations. Six countries in our region have either active or long running conflicts leading to massive civilian suffering and displacement crises.