Worsening Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan as Famine Takes Hold
Civilians Bear the Brunt of Conflict
“Civilians are paying the highest price,” warned Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, as relentless shelling and airstrikes continue to claim lives, injure innocent people, and devastate critical infrastructure, including hospitals.
He painted a grim picture of escalating violence in South Kordofan, where reports confirm increasing civilian casualties, sexual violence, and famine-like conditions.
The UN's 2025 humanitarian and refugee response plan aims to provide aid to nearly 26 million people struggling to survive inside Sudan and across its borders.
After nearly two years of relentless conflict, 12 million people have been displaced, making this one of the world’s worst displacement crises.
Fletcher welcomed recent discussions with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, emphasizing the urgent need to keep the Adre border crossing with Chad open for aid deliveries. However, he underscored that such efforts represent only a small fraction of what is needed, as bureaucratic hurdles continue to stall lifesaving assistance.
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Famine Conditions Reach Critical Levels
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has confirmed famine in more than 10 locations across Sudan, with another 17 regions on the brink of starvation.
“This is a collective failure that shames the global community,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain at a Geneva meeting.
She described Sudan as the epicenter of the world’s worst hunger crisis, calling it a catastrophe that has been largely forgotten despite the civil war killing thousands, displacing millions, and leaving the country in ruins.
Echoing those concerns, UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi condemned the military mindset of Sudan’s warring factions, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, saying their singular focus on victory comes at the expense of innocent lives.
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Widespread Human Suffering and Neglect
“The logic of these rival forces ignores the suffering of ordinary Sudanese – those who are killed, displaced, and enduring unimaginable hardships,” Grandi lamented.
With one in three Sudanese forced to flee, social systems are collapsing. Schools are closed, hospitals are overwhelmed, and basic services are disappearing.
“The country is being destroyed at its foundations,” he asserted, urging the global community to act now, not only to provide emergency aid but to work toward ending the violence and restoring peace.
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Conflict-Related Atrocities Escalate
Women and children continue to suffer the worst atrocities, with reports of widespread sexual violence.
“Women and girls are being subjected to horrifying patterns of conflict-related sexual abuse,” Fletcher said. Meanwhile, young men are being forcibly recruited into armed groups, and child marriage and gender-based violence are on the rise due to the collapse of Sudan’s education system.
Despite extreme access restrictions, Fletcher insisted that humanitarian efforts offer a lifeline to millions once hostilities subside, emphasizing the urgent need for unrestricted access by land, sea, and air.
McCain highlighted that agricultural production has been decimated, pushing food prices up by 500% in some areas, leaving millions unable to afford basic necessities.
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Humanitarian Aid Reaches Millions, But Needs Grow
In 2024, with $1.8 billion in funding, humanitarian agencies assisted over 15.6 million people across Sudan, providing:
– Food and livelihood support for 13 million people
– Water, sanitation, and hygiene aid
– Healthcare, nutrition, and shelter services
In neighboring countries, aid groups provided:
– Food assistance for over 1 million refugees
– Medical care for half a million people
– Protection services for over 800,000 displaced individuals
The WFP alone helped more than 8 million people last year but continues to struggle with severe access constraints due to the ongoing fighting.
Famine conditions have been recorded in at least five locations, including Darfur and the Nuba Mountains, sparking fears that catastrophic hunger will worsen by May when the lean season begins.
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Gender-Based Violence: A Weapon of War
Shaza Ahmed, Executive Director of Nada El Azhar, described how women and girls are paying a heavy price, with gender-based violence (GBV) being systematically used as a weapon of war.
Many women also face limited access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, compounding their
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