With severe shelter shortages and heightened risks from ongoing fighting and heavy rains continuing to plague hundreds of thousands of displaced people across Sudan, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Monday that Sudan’s emergency relief supply via the Common Humanitarian Pipeline could collapse within weeks. This warning comes amid ongoing drone strikes and other hostilities that endanger civilians and force them from their homes in the regions of Darfur, Kordofan, as well as Blue Nile State.
"We simply can't turn our back on the people of Sudan when they need us most amid raging conflict, increased displacement and the impact of heavy rain," said Amy Pope, IOM Director General.
"The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don't act now. Without new funding, we won't be able to get help where it's needed most."
IOM’s warning comes as needs remain acute amid heightened displacement in conflict- and crisis-affected communities across Sudan, leaving vulnerable families exposed and the humanitarian system on the edge of collapse.
Nearly 70 percent of internally displaced people (IDPs) are living with host families or in informal settlements. Ongoing violence, floods, and heavy rains continue to damage shelters, forcing people to move.
The Common Humanitarian Pipeline
Managed by IOM, the Common Humanitarian Pipeline is a shared logistics and supply chain system that centrally purchases, stores, and delivers critical relief items to local and international relief organizations and UN agencies. It is one of the key enablers of the humanitarian response in Sudan.
According to IOM, the Pipeline has reached 2.84 million people since July 2023. However, its reach is shrinking, even though needs remain at an all-time high. More than one million people were assisted through the system in 2024, but this number fell to 804,000 in 2025. So far in 2026, the IOM has merely provided shelter and emergency support kits to 330,000 people.
IOM emphasized that, without immediate donor support, the current supply of shelter, sanitation, and emergency household relief items is expected to deplete by the end of September 2026. The warehousing and operational capacity that keeps the logistics and supply chain system functioning can only be sustained until December 2026.
Disrupting the Pipeline would significantly weaken the humanitarian community’s ability to rapidly deliver lifesaving assistance through a network of more than 100 registered aid organizations.
IOM warns that rebuilding the system after any interruption would be a complex, costly, and time-consuming process requiring substantial resources to reestablish supply chains, operational systems, and partner coordination networks.
The UN organization requires US$15 million to maintain the Common Pipeline at its minimum capacity of 305,000 people for 12 months. $27 million would restore assistance to approximately 2025 levels, reaching 570,000 people. $42 million would enable scaling up to provide immediate, lifesaving support for up to one million people.
“For displaced families, inadequate shelter carries wider risks. Prolonged exposure to weather, disease and insecurity can heighten risks of gender-based violence, family separation and eviction in overcrowded sites,” IOM said,
“Continued underfunding also raises the risk of shelter failure and flood-related secondary displacement in sites already at or beyond capacity.”
As relief item stocks are expected to run out by the end of September, putting operational capacity at risk, funding will determine whether this established emergency supply mechanism will be ready to respond amid ongoing displacement related to conflict and the current rainy season.
Families flee as fighting, drone strikes continue
Also on Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that fighting and drone strikes continue to endanger civilians and force families to flee their homes in Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions — as well as in Blue Nile State.
In North Darfur State, drone strikes reportedly hit multiple locations in At Tina—on the border between Sudan and Chad—on Sunday. Between Thursday and Sunday, nearly 1,200 people were displaced from the villages of Hillat Salih and Kulkul in El Fasher due to increased insecurity, according to IOM.
The affected families reportedly fled to the Tawila locality. IOM also reported that, over the past week, more than 1,200 people were displaced from villages in the Um Baru locality due to increased insecurity. The majority of these families reportedly crossed the border into Chad.
In West Darfur State, drone attacks were reported in several locations on Saturday. According to local sources, a drone hit a fuel market in Adekong, west of the state capital, El Geneina, near the border with Chad. The towns of Silea’a and Kulbus were also reportedly hit by drones, resulting in casualties.
In Blue Nile State, multiple drone strikes were reported on Sunday against fuel stations and other critical infrastructure in Ed Damazine, the state capital, reportedly causing civilian casualties. These attacks come amid continued displacement across the state.
Between January and August, IOM estimates that insecurity displaced nearly 100,000 people across Blue Nile. This represents a 66 percent increase since late May, when nearly 60,000 displaced people had been recorded.
OCHA warned that ongoing insecurity in the Kordofan region is fueling displacement and hampering humanitarian operations, which limits access to vulnerable communities. In South Kordofan State, more than 7,000 people reportedly arrived in the town of Abassiya from surrounding villages in recent weeks.
In North Kordofan State, meanwhile, displaced people continue to arrive in the state capital, El Obeid. This puts more pressure on overcrowded displacement sites and basic services. Continued arrivals are further straining limited space and services.
OCHA once again called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and allow rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need across Sudan.
The world's largest humanitarian emergency
Sudan is experiencing the world's largest humanitarian emergency as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia for control of the vast country. An estimated 33.7 million people — nearly two-thirds of Sudan's population, including over 20 million children — currently require assistance and protection due to the conflict.
Intense fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, between the SAF and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum. As the violence quickly escalated and spread across Sudan, millions were forced to flee their homes. The conflict began as a power struggle between the SAF and the RSF, resulting in the collapse of healthcare, food systems, and civilian protection nationwide.
Although approximately 4.9 million IDPs have returned to their areas of origin, Sudan continues to experience the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 13 million people displaced as of today. Of those displaced, around 8.6 million remain within Sudan's borders, while approximately 5 million have fled to neighboring countries due to the ongoing war or previous conflict
This ongoing war has been waged with unprecedented brutality against civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan. The RSF, in particular, has been implicated in mass killings and rape as a means of warfare. However, both warring parties have been accused of grave war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Rapid Support Forces have also been accused of genocide.
In addition, Sudan is currently experiencing the world's most serious hunger crisis due to the conflict. Nearly 20 million people in the country are facing acute hunger, including 5 million in emergency conditions. Projections indicate that the number of people facing catastrophic hunger could surge from 135,000 to 200,000 between June and September.