Geneva – More than 9.3 million people have been forced from their homes by the ongoing conflict in Sudan, according to the latest United Nations data, as fighting intensifies and humanitarian access remains severely restricted.
Sudan Crisis: Displacement Soars, Food Insecurity Deepens
Table of Contents
A brutal conflict is driving mass displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
- Over 9.3 million Sudanese people are displaced, with more than 4.3 million fleeing across borders.
- More than 21 million people face acute food insecurity.
- Fighting continues across multiple fronts, particularly in Kordofan and Darfur.
- Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, with 12 million people at risk.
- Humanitarian funding is critically low, impacting aid delivery.
While some displaced individuals have returned to the capital, Khartoum, important dangers persist for civilians, including the threat from unexploded ordnance. Elsewhere, fierce fighting continues “across multiple fronts in Kordofan,” Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated.
Sieges have cut off access to the towns of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, and Dilling, located north of Kadugli, severely restricting the delivery of food, healthcare, and access to farms and markets, Laerke explained to journalists in Geneva.
Daily Attacks and a Growing Humanitarian Catastrophe
In Darfur, the situation remains dire, with “fighting on the ground and drone attacks from the sky” continuing. Long-range strikes targeting civilian infrastructure have also been reported far from active front lines, Laerke added.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to claim the lives of children. Eight children were reportedly killed in an attack in Al Obeid, North Kordofan, earlier this week.According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a staggering 5,000 children have been displaced every day since the conflict erupted in April 2023. “Many have been displaced not once but repeatedly, with violence following them wherever they flee,” said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires.
pires also warned that millions of children are at risk of sexual violence,with even babies among the survivors.”Behind every one of these numbers is a child, frightened, hungry, sick and wondering why the world has not come to help,” he added.
Sexual Violence and Funding gaps
Women and girls are facing “rampant” sexual violence and abuse, with approximately 12 million people – predominantly women and girls – at risk of gender-based violence, according to OCHA. “female-headed households are now three times more likely to be food insecure and three-quarters of these households report not having enough to eat,” Laerke said.
The global humanitarian funding crisis is severely impacting the UN’s work and that of its partners in Sudan. Only 36 percent of the $4.2 billion requested last year has been funded by donors. Looking ahead to 2026, OCHA plans to assist 20 million people out of the nearly 34 million in need of humanitarian support, a plan estimated to cost $2.9 billion.
“Today our call is urgent: first, an immediate cessation of hostilities and real steps towards a lasting peace,” Laerke said. “Second, adherence to international humanitarian law with access facilitated across conflict lines and protection of civilians including aid workers and civilian infrastructure.”
