Five facts about the situation in Sudan: The largest humanitarian crisis in the world

While the United Nations is preparing to launch a humanitarian appeal to obtain record financing worth $ 4.2 billion to support relief operations in the country, we look at the most prominent things you need to know about the crisis in Sudan, which was described as “The largest and most humanitarian crises and protection crises in the world today”.

1War: Khartoum clashes in 2023 vow at the end of the peace process

By the end of 2022, there were hopes that the United Nations -backed peace process would result in a civil administration in Sudan, after a turbulent period that witnessed the fall of Omar al -Bashir, followed by a severe repression of the protests that were calling for civil rule.

In December 2022, the former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary -General in Sudan, Volker Bertis, said. “The final political agreement must pave the way for building a democratic state.”. However, he warned that “Critical contentious issues” It is still standing, especially the merger of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.

Tensions between the two sides escalated in early 2023, and were characterized by intermittent clashes. But the beginning of the current civil war took place with the rapid support forces attack on the capital, Khartoum, on April 15, 2023. The fighting, which then extended to other parts of the country, forced the United Nations to evacuate Khartoum, and transferred its headquarters to the relatively stable and overlooked city of Port Sudan Red Sea.

The United Nations strongly condemned the fighting and the suffering of civilians. The Secretary -General, Antonio Guterres, called for an urgent dialogue between the parties to the conflict. The Personal Envoy of the Secretary -General to Sudan, Ramtan Lamamra, continues to support peace efforts, in close cooperation with regional organizations, including the African Union.

2- The humanitarian crisis: more than 30 million people need aid

The war was disastrous for civilians in Sudan. About 30.4 million people – more than two -thirds of the total population – need help, from health to food and other forms of human support. The fighting led to an economic collapse, which resulted in high food prices, fuel and other basic commodities, which made them far from the reach of many families.

The sharp hunger is a growing problem, as more than half of the population faces high levels of acute food insecurity. The circumstances of famine were revealed in five locations in the state of North Darfur and the eastern Nuba Mountains. Famine is expected to spread to five other regions by May of this year.

The resident coordinator and the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, two Kliman, a peaceful bite, warned that “This is a critical moment, as parts of South Kordofan have already begun to feel the consequences of food insecurity, as families live in a dangerous limited food supply, and the rates of malnutrition increases sharply.”.

Humanitarian efforts have been severely disabled due to insecurity, which imposes severe restrictions on humanitarian access, complicates the movement of supplies and endangers relief workers. Despite the risks, the United Nations and its human partners continue to reach the population at risk.

The World Food Program saves thousands of lives every day, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has succeeded in distributing seeds to more than half a million families during the agricultural season. In total, about 15.6 million people received at least one form of United Nations assistance in 2024.

As for the health system, it is in a deplorable condition, as health facilities were attacked and many health workers were forced to flee.

The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are still working, supporting fortification against cholera and malaria, and publishing mobile medical teams.

3- Disclosure: Collective displacement equivalent to the total population of Switzerland

Huge numbers of people were forced to flee their homes to relatively safe areas, whether inside Sudan or in neighboring countries, which exacerbated regional instability. More than three million people are classified as refugees, and about nine million internally displaced. The total number of displaced people exceeds the population of Switzerland.

Given the change of confrontation lines, there were successive waves of displacement, which made the task of reaching the needy increasingly complicated. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees described the situation in Sudan as “The largest and fastest growth crisis in the world”.

The displaced people, whether they stay in Sudan or move abroad, face a decrease in access to food, the scarcity of natural resources, and a limited ability to access basic services. In addition, diseases such as cholera and measles spread in refugee and displaced camps.

Many surrounding countries suffer from their own economic and security problems, some of which are among the poorest countries in the world, with limited and high services.

The International Organization for Immigration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are working wherever it is possible to protect lives and support countries that host refugees and ensure that the needs of fleeing with dignity.

4- Security: Women and girls who are most affected by conflict

More than 18,800 civilians have been reported since the beginning of the conflict, and the levels of violence in Sudan have worsened. In the beginning of February, at least 275 people were killed in only one week, which is three times more than the death toll in the previous week.

Civilians are under artillery shelling, air strikes and attacks with drones, and the most affected areas are the state of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. The relief workers were the target of intimidation and violence, with reports that some were falsely accused of cooperation with the Rapid Support Forces.

The United Nations Independent International Mission on Facts has documented on Sudan a set of horrific human rights violations committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, and called for investigations into violations, and to bring perpetrators to justice.

In an interview with United Nations News, Edmur Tundlana, Deputy Head of the United Nations Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, explained that women and girls are the most affected by the conflict, with reports of rape, forced marriage and kidnapping.

He added: “If we look at the last attack that killed about 79 people in southern Kordofan, around Kadoukly, most of the dead were women and girls.”. He also pointed out that teenage boys are also at a great risk, adding “These people cannot easily move between the confrontation lines. They will be suspected of spying.”.

Large numbers of children were recruited in armed groups, and they were forced to fight or spy against the other side.

5- Finance: We need billions of dollars

The lack of sufficient funds is severely limited by the United Nations ability to help Sudan. The Refugee Commission and its partners were able to provide less than the minimum support to refugees, and food classes have been reduced significantly, which increased food insecurity.

On February 17, 2025, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Refugee Commission will call for financing, based on their response plans for the crisis.

The humanitarian needs of Sudan were estimated at about $ 4.2 billion, which is a record number, with an additional $ 1.8 billion to support those who host refugees in neighboring countries.

While the required amount may seem large, the deputy director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan confirms that given “What this can do for 21 million people who need help, it is mainly related to $ 200 per person annually. If we divide it more, we find that the demand is basically half a dollar per person per day.”.