Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Conflict Enters Third Year
Three years into Sudan’s devastating conflict, the country remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with nearly 34 million people—almost two-thirds of the population—requiring urgent assistance, according to the United Nations.
Speaking in Geneva on April 14, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described the scale of suffering, noting that millions have been displaced both within Sudan and across its borders. Entire communities have been emptied, with families uprooted repeatedly as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to escalate.
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 highlighted the 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. More than 4.3 million women and girls are now internally displaced, with 17.1 million requiring humanitarian assistance in 2026.
Anna Mutavati, UN Women’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, said from Berlin: “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 the response. 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 recognising that there can be no peace whilst sexual violence remains,” she said.
As the conflict grinds on, aid agencies continue to call for increased international support to address what has become one of the most urgent humanitarian emergencies in the world.
