UNESCO: 20 Museums in Sudan Have Been Looted or Destroyed Since the War Began
Omdurman – Mashawir
The UNESCO stated that “more than 20 museums in Sudan have been subjected to looting, destruction, or the smuggling of artifacts since the outbreak of the war in 2023.”
The organization pointed to “the loss of thousands of archaeological artifacts documenting ancient civilizations, including the Nubian, Kushite, Islamic, and African civilizations.”
It added: “We carried out urgent interventions through the Heritage Emergency Fund, including damage assessments in five major museums: Kerma, Jebel Barkal, Red Sea, Al-Damar, and Sennar museums. This enabled the implementation of urgent protection measures and guided emergency stabilization efforts.”
UNESCO also noted “the creation of a digital inventory documenting 1,737 archaeological pieces, in addition to transferring collections from the Al-Damar Museum to the Kerma Museum for safekeeping.”
The organization further stated that “40 specialists were trained in debris removal and handling explosive hazards, which contributed to restoring safe access to museum sites.”
It added that “the Sudan National Museum was subjected to widespread looting, with more than 4,000 artifacts reported missing.”
