Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Is One of the Worst in the World — And Still Ignored

More than two years into Sudan’s civil war, the country is living through a catastrophe of historic scale.

Since fighting erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan has become the site of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis.

Nearly twelve million people have been forcibly uprooted.

And yet, experts warn: the world is still not paying attention.

A war between former allies

What makes Sudan’s conflict especially tragic is that the two main actors were once partners.

In 2019, Sudan’s military leaders joined forces to overthrow longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The head of the army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, became Sudan’s de facto leader, supported by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

But the alliance collapsed.

When Burhan attempted to integrate the RSF into the national army under a transition toward civilian rule, Hemedti responded with armed revolt — plunging the country into full-scale war.

Repeated international ceasefire efforts have failed, leaving Sudan trapped in violence with no political exit.

How severe is the humanitarian disaster?

Sudan was already fragile before the war.

Millions faced hunger, displacement, and economic collapse.

But the conflict has pushed the country over the edge.

As of late 2025:

• Nearly 12 million people have been displaced

• Over 7 million remain inside Sudan as internally displaced persons

• More than 4 million have fled into neighboring countries

• Death toll estimates range from 20,000 to 150,000, with media access heavily restricted

  
  

In Darfur, the RSF’s capture of El Fasher — the last major government-held city — has triggered new waves of flight, mass civilian killings, and fears of a de facto partition of Sudan.

UN experts describe a nightmare of:

• starvation as a weapon

• systematic sexual violence

• forced disappearances

• deliberate attacks on civilians

Sudan is now facing what the World Food Program calls potentially the largest hunger crisis in recent history.

Nearly 25 million people are experiencing acute hunger, with famine already confirmed in parts of the country.

The collapse of everyday life

This is not only a military war — it is the destruction of society.

Air strikes and shelling have hit:

• hospitals

• schools

• prisons

• markets

• dense residential neighborhoods

Disease outbreaks are spreading rapidly, including cholera, malaria, and dengue fever, as Sudan’s health system collapses.

Where are Sudan’s refugees going?

Sudan’s neighbors are absorbing the shock:

• Chad has received nearly 900,000 refugees

• Hundreds of thousands have fled to Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Uganda, and CAR

• Many South Sudanese refugees who once sought safety in Sudan have now been forced back home

Most refugees are women and children — and therefore especially vulnerable to gender-based violence, trafficking, and exploitation.

In West Darfur, there have been reports of ethnically targeted killings and mass sexual violence against the Masalit community, particularly in El Geneina.

War crimes and accusations of genocide

Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of serious atrocities.

The International Criminal Court has opened investigations, and in early 2025 the United States formally determined that the RSF had committed genocide in Darfur.

Sanctions have followed.

But accountability remains distant.

Foreign powers are fueling the war

Sudan’s conflict is not contained within its borders.

External actors continue to provide weapons, financing, and political cover.

• Egypt maintains close ties to the Sudanese army

• The UAE has been accused of supporting the RSF

• Russia has sought deeper military access, including plans for a Red Sea naval base

• Iranian drones have reportedly entered the battlefield

Sudan is becoming a proxy arena for regional and global power struggles.