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The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, not only within Sudan but across its neighboring countries. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), thousands of people are fleeing Sudan every single day, many of them already displaced before the fighting began.
Inside the country, the situation is deteriorating rapidly. North Darfur, currently one of the most heavily affected regions, has seen deadly attacks on displacement camps, leaving many civilians dead or wounded. Alarmed by the growing risk of famine, the United Nations has issued an urgent appeal for international action.
With Sudan’s population hovering around 50 million, nearly half—about 25 million people—are now battling acute food insecurity. And conditions are expected to worsen. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted the urgency, warning that the upcoming rainy season and related flooding will further impede humanitarian access.
1. Over 3 Million People Have Fled Sudan
Sudan is facing the world’s largest displacement crisis today. “One-third of Sudan’s population is displaced. The consequences of this horrific and senseless conflict extend far beyond its borders,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in February.
Almost 3.8 million people have fled Sudan so far, many of them arriving in neighboring countries with little access to food, clean water or medical care. The UN predicts this number could rise by another million by the end of 2025.
Sudan’s neighbors—already burdened by previous waves of displacement dating back to the 2003 Darfur crisis—are struggling to absorb the influx. Humanitarian programs are critically underfunded, and refugees are arriving in remote areas, further complicating aid delivery.
Egypt and Chad are receiving the highest number of refugees. Egypt is now hosting around 600,000 displaced Sudanese, while over 700,000 are registered in Chad—a number the Chadian government expects could approach one million in the coming year.
2. Basic Services Under Severe Strain
Countries bordering Sudan are under immense strain as they try to provide essential services such as healthcare and education. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that health systems in countries like Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan are overwhelmed. Supplies, personnel, and medical facilities are insufficient to meet the growing demand.
Compounding the crisis is a lack of clarity over donor funding commitments for 2025. Due to funding gaps, the UNHCR has had to halt medical treatment programs in Egypt, affecting 20,000 Sudanese refugees needing critical procedures like cancer surgery, heart operations, and treatments for chronic illnesses.
3. Perfect Conditions for Disease Outbreaks
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the situation in Sudan is nearing a “perfect storm” for disease outbreaks, as the health system collapses and vast numbers of people are forced into crowded areas without access to clean water, food, or sanitation.
The breakdown of medical infrastructure inside Sudan has already led to cross-border transmission of diseases. Refugees—many with disrupted vaccination histories—are highly vulnerable. Humanitarian organizations are reporting increased disease outbreaks, particularly in refugee-hosting regions and temporary shelter sites.
4. Rising Instability in Border Areas
Neighboring nations—including Egypt, Libya, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Central African Republic—were already dealing with internal challenges like political instability, poverty, and civil unrest before Sudan’s war erupted.
Now, the conflict is fuelling increased violence along regional borders. Chad, for example, has seen a spike in arms trafficking and clashes involving armed groups. In South Sudan, a local militia has reportedly formed an alliance with Sudan’s RSF, further complicating regional dynamics and threatening broader security.
5. Conflict-Driven Sexual Violence
Sexual violence is being widely used as a weapon of war in Sudan, posing severe risks to millions of people—especially women and children. Fearing assault, many women and girls are forced to flee, only to encounter new dangers in displacement camps or while crossing borders. These populations are in urgent need of both medical and psychological support.
UNICEF reports that girls in informal settlements face heightened risks of sexual violence. Alarmingly, 66% of reported child rape survivors are girls. Boys, too, face abuse but are often unable to report incidents due to stigma.
Perhaps most disturbingly, 16 known survivors were under the age of five—including four infants just one year old.
6. Economic Shock and Worsening Poverty
The war has deeply disrupted trade routes and regional economies, pushing
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