More than two years after conflict erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country is in the grip of one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history. The war, which began in Khartoum, has spread across Darfur and Kordofan, forcing roughly 12 million people from their homes and pushing at least 25–30 million—half the population—to depend on aid. Both sides have been accused of atrocities such as ethnic cleansing, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and attacks on civilians and hospitals.
The scale of suffering is staggering. Approximately 80% of hospitals in conflict zones have collapsed, and widespread disease outbreaks—including cholera, measles, malaria, dengue, and meningitis—are rampant, with hundreds of deaths reported. Cholera alone has claimed over 1,500 lives, and 3.7 million people are in dire need of nutrition support. Meanwhile, immunization coverage has plummeted, leaving only 48% of young children vaccinated by mid-2025—down from over 90% in 2022—and pushing Sudan into the top three countries globally for “zero-dose” children.
Food insecurity is at famine levels. Over 24.6 million people face high acute food insecurity, with more than 600,000 on the brink of famine. The UN has declared multiple famine zones in North Darfur and the Nuba Mountains . Reports show malnutrition rates soaring among children, and data from MSF reveals staggering numbers: 67,000 children treated for malnutrition, 320,000 admissions to emergency wards, and over 1.7 million medical consultations at MSF-supported facilities.
Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden. Up to 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Cases of mass rape, trafficking, and forced marriage have surged, with girls under five among the youngest survivors. Food scarcity disproportionately affects female-headed households, and many lack access to reproductive health services and safe water.
Education and infrastructure have collapsed. Nearly all 19 million school-age children are out of school, as classrooms are destroyed or repurposed as shelters. Dozens of water, electricity, and cultural heritage sites—including the National Museum—have been damaged or looted. Food production has plummeted, and agricultural land lies abandoned, contributing to soaring prices and massive deprivation.
Casualty estimates continue to rise. UN figures suggest tens of thousands killed, but researchers from LSHTM estimate that in just Khartoum State over 61,000 people died between April 2023 and June 2024, most from starvation and disease rather than direct violence. Cumulatively, total war-related deaths are believed to exceed 150,000 nationally when indirect causes are included.
Refugee flows and aid shortages compound the crisis. Over 4 million refugees—mostly in Chad, Egypt, Uganda, Libya, CAR, and Ethiopia—face worsening hunger in host countries, with only about 14% of UN appeal funds delivered. Aid operations are frequently disrupted by conflict or looted convoys.
Despite multiple ceasefire efforts, peace remains elusive. Civilians in conflict zones like Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum continue to face violence, displacement, and starvation. Islamist forces allied with the army aim to influence post-war governance, threatening to reshape Sudan’s political future toward instability.
At its core, Sudan today is a state unraveling—its people uprooted, starving, injured, and without hope. With fragile systems collapsing, relentless conflict, and shrinking international support, the risk now stretches beyond humanitarian disaster to long-term regional instability.