Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has deepened as the conflict enters its third year, making it the world’s largest humanitarian emergency. According to the United Nations, nearly 34 million people—almost two-thirds of the population—require urgent assistance. On April 14, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher addressed the scale of suffering in Geneva, highlighting that millions have been displaced both within Sudan and across its borders. Entire communities have been emptied, with families repeatedly uprooted as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalates.
The conflict, which began on April 15, 2023, has severely disrupted access to basic services. Fletcher warned of a high risk of wider regional instability, while other officials pointed to the alarming use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. UN Women’s latest Gender Alert, released on the same day, revealed a sharp increase in gender-based violence. The number of women and girls needing support after experiencing sexual violence has nearly doubled in two years. Currently, more than 4.3 million women and girls are internally displaced, and 17.1 million are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.
Anna Mutavati, UN Women’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, emphasized the dire situation from Berlin, stating, “Women and girls are being raped and killed in their homes, and as they flee, seek food, water, and medical care. The use of sexual violence has been embedded in the blueprint of Sudan’s war.” Humanitarian efforts remain critically underfunded. Last year, aid agencies reached 17 million people, with plans to assist 20 million this year; however, severe resource shortages have hampered these efforts. In the first three months of 2026 alone, nearly 700 civilians were reportedly killed in drone strikes.
Mutavati stressed the need for accountability, access to justice for survivors, and the full participation of women in peace processes. “Ending this war means ending the impunity that sustains it and recognizing that there can be no peace while sexual violence remains,” she said. As the conflict continues, aid agencies are calling for increased international support to address what has become one of the most urgent humanitarian emergencies in the world.
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