The Sudanese National Academy of Sciences has appealed to the solidarity of global science community, as conflicts are threatening an entire generation of scientists and researchers – struggling to keep working on pressing issues, as many fled the violence in safer parts of the country or abroad.
Through a revolution, a military
coup and a pandemic, scientist Hazir Elhaj held on, staying in Sudan as long as she could – right up until she heard bombs falling in Khartoum.
Now in Saudi Arabia, she hopes to return as soon as possible. As one of the few researchers working on bioenergy in Sudan, she says she feels a responsibility to get back to her work, which focuses on providing sustainable energy sources for rural areas.
“I want to go back, because I have a mission to do,” Elhaj says. “This was a shock, yes, but we have to continue.”
More than 5 million people have been updated 2024 mobile phone number data displaced, and at least 7,500 people killed since the conflict started in April. Half of the country’s population needs humanitarian aid or protection, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in September.
Fighting continues across much of the country.
The most intense violence has centred around the evolving booking funnel the capital, Khartoum – which is also the heart of Sudan’s research community. Many of the city’s universities and institutions have been looted or destroyed.
“The present situation for academics in Sudan is intensely critical – a crisis that has received little to no attention outside the country,” Mohamed H. A. Hassan, president of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS), wrote in an open letter.
SNAS is calling on international organizations and scientists around the world to “unite in solidarity” with colleagues affected by the conflict.
National Academies around the world can help by working with aqb directory universities and research institutions to find spaces for displaced scientists to continue their work until the conflict ends, SNAS writes.
“Most of all, our academics need practical
assistance in order to be able to continue their studies and research in these difficult times, otherwise Sudan risks losing a generation or more of its invaluable scientific talent,” Hassan explains.
Some students have been able to continue studying in other countries, including Rwanda and Tanzania. But many scientists remain scattered across Sudan – many with their salaries frozen or in areas with poor or no internet access, unable to work, Hassan notes.
Campuses looted
After years of stop-and-start work, 2023 was looking good for Elhaj. She planned to upgrade her lab at the Sudan University of Science and Technology into a full research centre, and set up an incubator where scientists could collaborate on technology to solve environmental problems.