“More people have been displaced by violence in Sudan than in Ukraine and Gaza combined . . . And yet the people (there) seem to have been abandoned in an empty landscape. As the United States withdraws and international institutions decay, their ordeal may be a harbinger of what is to come.”

I took that quote from this Atlantic article, entitled “The Crisis of American Leadership Reaches an Empty Desert” with photographs by Lynsey Addario. The article did not give a figure for how many people have been displaced in Sudan, perhaps because it keeps growing by at least 3,500 a day. But this article from Darfur Network for Human Rights estimates more than seven million people have been displaced by the war there.

The article points out that the United States’ “government is suspending refugee resettlement, meaning thousands of Sudanese who were waiting for relocation may now face indefinite delays. At the same time, USAID funding which is one of the major sources of humanitarian assistance for Sudanese refugees in the region has been frozen.

“The U.S. has historically been a major funder of these aid programs through USAID, supporting food distribution, healthcare, and emergency relief. With USAID funding now frozen, the situation in these camps will only worsen, forcing more refugees into desperate conditions with few options for resettlement.”

So with seven million Sudanese trying to find space and food somewhere in the world, what is the United States doing as far as refugees? This:

“Dozens of white South Africans arrived in the United States on Monday on a chartered jet after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration, which has made it virtually impossible for any other refugees to seek safe haven in America.”

That’s from this New York Times article, that goes on to say, “Trump’s focus on this small group of refugees only served to underscore the tens of thousands of people all over the world whom his administration has decided to keep out, including Afghans who helped U.S. soldiers during the war in Afghanistan and Congolese citizens who had already been vetted and cleared to travel before Mr. Trump took office.

“Trump essentially halted refugee admission programs on his first day in office before creating a pathway for Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority that ruled during apartheid in South Africa, to resettle in the United States.”

Hard to play rugby without meeting some Afrikaners on the pitch or at the drink-up after the games. Fun-loving people who I’d welcome to the U.S. Also know some Afghan refugees (non-rugby players), who are delightful, intelligent people. Glad they are here. Not too many Sudanese though. And from the current U.S. refugee policy, that looks like it will continue. Too bad, for the Sudanes refugees and the United States.