While international media remains focused on other global conflicts, Sudan is experiencing one of the most severe humanitarian disasters of our time. The ongoing civil war has created a perfect storm of food insecurity, mass displacement, and collapsing healthcare that now threatens millions of civilians. According to UN estimates, nearly 25 million people – half of Sudan’s population – require urgent humanitarian assistance, with 5 million facing emergency levels of hunger.
The Escalating Conflict and Its Humanitarian Toll
The current crisis traces its roots to April 2023, when violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). What began as a power struggle in Khartoum has since spread across the country, devastating infrastructure and livelihoods. The conflict has been particularly destructive to Sudan’s agricultural sector, once the backbone of the nation’s food security.
The RSF’s capture of El Gezira state in December 2023 marked a particularly devastating turning point. This region, known as Sudan’s breadbasket, accounted for nearly 50% of the country’s remaining food production. Its fall triggered immediate food shortages across multiple states, with the World Food Programme warning of “apocalyptic” consequences if access isn’t restored.
Collapsing Systems and Displacement Crisis
Sudan’s healthcare system has been decimated by the conflict. The World Health Organization reports that 90% of health facilities in conflict zones are no longer functional, with remaining hospitals facing severe shortages of medicines, equipment, and trained staff. This collapse comes as disease outbreaks, including cholera and measles, spread through overcrowded displacement camps.
The displacement numbers are staggering. Over 10 million Sudanese have been forced from their homes – the largest displacement crisis in the world today. Neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt are hosting over 2 million refugees, placing immense strain on already fragile host communities.
Humanitarian Access Challenges
Aid organizations face unprecedented obstacles in delivering assistance. The UN reports that both sides of the conflict have systematically restricted humanitarian access, with over 150 aid trucks looted and numerous warehouses deliberately targeted. Tragically, 22 aid workers have lost their lives since the conflict began.
“The level of danger we’re facing is unlike anything in recent memory,” says a senior UN official who requested anonymity. “We have food stocks that could save lives, but we can’t get them to people who need them most due to fighting and bureaucratic hurdles.”
International Response and Funding Shortfalls
Despite repeated warnings from humanitarian agencies, the global response has been woefully inadequate. The UN’s 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan, calling for $2.7 billion to address the crisis, remains only 16% funded. This shortfall has forced organizations to cut food rations by 50% at precisely the moment needs are growing most acute.
Several nations have stepped up their support. The United States remains the largest single donor, providing over $1 billion in humanitarian assistance since the crisis began. The European Union and several of its member states have also contributed significant funding, while regional partners continue to host refugees despite limited resources.
The Human Cost: A Generation at Risk
The conflict’s impact on children has been particularly devastating. UNICEF reports that 700,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with one child dying every two hours in the Zamzam camp alone. Education for 19 million school-aged children has been disrupted, creating what experts warn could become a “lost generation.”
Medical personnel describe heartbreaking scenes in remaining health facilities. “We’re seeing mothers who walk for days to reach clinics, only to arrive with children too weak to save,” reports a pediatrician in North Darfur. “The scale of suffering is beyond anything our limited resources can address.”
Pathways Forward
While the situation remains dire, humanitarian experts emphasize that immediate action could still prevent further catastrophe. Key priorities include:
1. Negotiated Humanitarian Pauses: Establishing regular, days-long ceasefires to allow aid delivery to hardest-hit areas.
2. Cross-Border Operations: Expanding aid routes from neighboring countries to bypass frontline blockages.
3. Local Mediation: Supporting community-led peace efforts to create pockets of stability for aid distribution.
4. Sustained Funding: Urgent donor commitments to fully fund the humanitarian response.
Regional organizations, including the African Union and IGAD, continue to mediate between warring parties. Their efforts, supported by international partners, aim to create conditions for both humanitarian access and eventual political dialogue.
A Test of Global Solidarity
As the crisis enters its second year, humanitarian workers stress that time is running out to prevent mass starvation. “This isn’t just about food deliveries,” notes a veteran aid coordinator. “It’s about whether the international community will act decisively to prevent a famine we can all see coming.”
The coming months will prove decisive. With the lean season approaching and agricultural production devastated, millions of Sudanese civilians hang in the balance. Their fate will depend both on progress in peace efforts and whether the world finally gives this crisis the attention – and resources – it desperately requires.
