Entering its third year, the violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in the world’s most severe displacement crisis. The war has devastated Sudan’s infrastructure and crippled essential services across the country.
The conflict has displaced nearly 12.5 million people, including over 3.3 million who have fled into neighboring countries seeking safety, according to United Nations figures.
First Aid Convoy Reaches Khartoum in Months
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric announced that the World Food Programme (WFP) has regained access to the greater Khartoum area for the first time in months. WFP teams are now working to expand humanitarian operations to assist nearly one million people in the coming weeks.
“Today, a 14-truck convoy carrying over 280 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies reached Jabal Awlia, located south of Khartoum,” Dujarric reported during a press briefing. He noted that this area had not received any humanitarian aid since December and is considered at high risk of famine.
This convoy is one of several planned deliveries aimed at supporting the larger Khartoum metropolitan area in the immediate future.
Aid Efforts Expand in North Darfur
In North Darfur, humanitarian partners recently delivered 1,700 metric tonnes of emergency food to the town of Tawila. Meanwhile, a local organization has started trucking clean water to 10,000 displaced individuals now sheltering in El Fasher, the regional capital.
These efforts are particularly critical as local communities struggle to accommodate the surge of people fleeing escalating violence. Many of the newly displaced have arrived from conflict zones such as Zamzam camp, where conditions have deteriorated due to frequent shelling and armed sieges. Fighting has also disrupted water supplies in El Fasher and its surrounding areas, with only solar-powered boreholes still functioning.
Humanitarian Access Severely Hindered
Despite some progress, aid delivery across Sudan remains extremely difficult. “In Sudan, we continue to face significant bureaucratic hurdles that block the flow of humanitarian relief,” Dujarric said, pointing to a steep decline in visa approvals for aid workers.
As of late March 2025, only 23 of 145 visa applications submitted by UN agencies and international NGOs were approved—just 16 percent. This represents a dramatic drop compared to earlier months.
Access to Khartoum, partially retaken by the Sudanese military in recent weeks, is still minimal. Roads, bridges, and healthcare facilities have been heavily damaged in the ongoing hostilities.
Rising Insecurity, Looting, and Kidnappings
Security conditions continue to obstruct humanitarian efforts. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that aid offices and warehouses belonging to national NGOs have been looted, with staff kidnapped and vehicles seized by armed groups.
Incidents include the abduction of a doctor in East Darfur, with a ransom demand of $25,000. In another case, the RSF detained an NGO staff member in Zalingei for over two weeks.
The United Nations has renewed its appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to end hostilities immediately, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure civilian protection.
“This aid is absolutely vital for the survival of vulnerable communities,” Dujarric stressed, underlining the urgent need for safe, unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations.
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