Photo credit: Aljazeera
Four United Nations agencies have called for urgent international attention on Sudan’s crisis, to address the immense suffering and growing dangers to the population.
In a press release, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says over 900 days of brutal fighting, widespread violations of human rights, famine, and the breakdown of life-sustaining services have pushed millions to the brink of survival, particularly women and children.
Recently, leaders from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) witnessed the devastating impact of the crisis across the country.
Sudan is facing one of the world’s most severe emergencies, with more than 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. They include over 9.6 million internally displaced people and nearly 15 million children. While around 2.6 million people have returned to their homes as fighting in some parts of the country has eased, many are finding their homes and neighbourhoods damaged or destroyed and lacking access to essential services.
The conflict, which is in its third year, has destroyed essential services like healthcare and education. 14 out of 17 school-aged children are out of school. Entire communities have been displaced. Families had to flee for their lives. Famine was confirmed in parts of the country last year and the hunger situation remains catastrophic. Children are among the hardest hit. Malnutrition rates have soared while thousands are at the risk of death without immediate food and nutrition assistance.
Families returning to Sudan are mostly driven by the determination to rebuild their lives after years of conflict. While they reflect a fragile but hopeful shift, Sudan remains a country in deep crisis.
Access to most affected populations remains severely constrained. Humanitarian actors face insecurity, bureaucratic impediments, and logistical challenges that make the delivery of life-saving aid extremely difficult. Attacks against civilians remain widespread and women and girls continue to face serious risks of conflict-related sexual violence.
Anti-foreigner sentiment is rising in Khartoum and Sudan’s longstanding support for nearly 900,000 refugees is under pressure. Continued protection for refugees is lifesaving for hundreds of thousands in need.
The Deputy High Commissioner at UNHCR Kelly T Clements said, “This is one of the worst protection crises we’ve seen in decades. Millions are displaced inside and outside of the country and returning families have little support with the absence of other options.”
The situation across the Darfurs and Kordofan states is deeply concerning with humanitarian needs escalating. Communities are increasingly isolated and the collapse of essential services is leaving millions vulnerable. A|gencies continue to make every effort to reach civilians where children and families are enduring conditions that defy survival.
Funding shortfalls are further compounding the crisis. The 2025 Humanitarian FResponse Plan for Sudan, totaling US$ 4.2 billion, remains critically underfunded at only 25 per cent, threatening the scale and continuity of emergency operations. Despite massive challenges, the humanitarian response in Sudan has reached 13.5 million people so far this year.
However, without additional resources, humanitarian agencies will be forced to scale back life-saving interventions and millions of lives would be at risk.
