Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis. Tens of thousands of children, women and men have been killed, starved, and maimed. With no signs of the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan and its regional impacts abating, United Nations leaders expressed alarm on Wednesday at the insufficient funding and diplomatic attention being given to the conflict and its consequences.
Intense fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum. The violence quickly spread across Sudan, forcing millions from their homes. What began as a power struggle between the SAF and the RSF has resulted in the collapse of healthcare, food systems and civilian protection nationwide.
The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan is unprecedented. An estimated 33.7 million people — nearly two-thirds of Sudan's population — currently require humanitarian assistance and protection. Among those in dire need are over 20 million children.
In a video message to the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan in Berlin on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an end to this nightmare. He noted that credible allegations of the gravest international crimes continue to emerge.
“Women and girls have been terrorized and systematic sexual violence has prevailed. Families and communities have been devastated by bombardments and drone strikes,” he said.
“Humanitarian and commercial lifelines have been choked off. And famine has taken hold in what was once a breadbasket for the region. An entire generation of children has been robbed of education.”
Guterres said that the consequences are not confined to Sudan, as they are causing instability in the wider region.
“This nightmare must end. That requires unity and urgency. Civilians must be protected,” he said.
The Secretary-General appealed for unity and urgency in order to protect civilians and ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. He also called on donors to fully fund aid operations.
He deplored the fact that less than 40 per cent of the required humanitarian support was delivered last year, forcing devastating cuts to food aid, medical services and critical support for survivors of sexual violence.
While hunger levels in Sudan have skyrocketed, the humanitarian community has experienced a consistent decline in financial support. Despite growing needs, this year's response is falling even further short, with only 17 percent received as of today.
“But let’s be clear: funding alone cannot substitute for peace. An immediate cessation of hostilities is essential. External interference and the flow of arms that fuel this war must finally end, “Guterres said.
He added that a credible path must be opened towards an inclusive, civilian-led political process that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people.
UN relief chief: Sudan is an “atrocities laboratory”
Speaking at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan in Berlin on Wednesday, the UN relief chief, Tom Fletcher, described the country as an 'atrocities laboratory', citing sieges, denial of food, sexual violence as a weapon of war and targeting of schools and hospitals.
He noted that drone strikes had killed 700 people so far this year and that more than 130 humanitarian workers had been killed over the past three years.
Fletcher stated that the situation was not just grinding on; it was getting worse. He quoted figures from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which have recorded the deaths of 160 children between January and March this year – a 50 percent increase on the same period last year.
UN human rights chief: Those responsible must be held to account
In his remarks to the conference on Sudan, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed that urgent joint action is needed to hold those responsible to account.
During his visit to Sudan earlier this year, he witnessed first-hand the devastating impact that three years of war has had on the lives of ordinary people.
“I was shocked to the core by accounts of extreme brutality, including atrocity crimes. I heard harrowing stories from survivors who witnessed the killing of their loved ones, and from women who had been subjected to gang rape and other forms of torture,” Türk said.
“This conflict is a human rights catastrophe; so human rights must underpin all efforts to resolve it.”
Monitoring and documentation by the UN Human Rights Office indicates that all parties to the conflict have perpetrated gross violations and abuses of international human rights law, as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law. These violations may amount to international crimes, including crimes against humanity.
“The use of explosive weapons with wide area impacts in populated areas – employed by all parties - inflicts indiscriminate harm. The deliberate targeting of hospitals, markets, schools and critical infrastructure is a war crime,” Türk said.
He voiced alarm at the sharp increase in the use of drone warfare in recent months, which has had a devastating impact on civilians.
“Drone strikes were responsible for three-quarters of the civilian deaths we documented in the first three months of this year,” he said, warning that cycles of violence are spiraling and expanding across Sudan.
“Civilians are targeted with mass killings, summary executions, widespread rape, abductions for ransom, and forced displacement,” the UN human rights chief said.
“These atrocities follow the same pattern; they are the result of deliberate decisions fueled by impunity. When crimes yield success on the battlefield, and are not punished, they are repeated.”
War in Sudan triggers devastating health crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the war is having a devastating impact on people’s health. Although the situation is improving in some states, the health crisis is deepening in areas where fighting continues.
According to WHO, around 21 million people require health assistance. It is estimated that over 4 million people are acutely malnourished, making them vulnerable to medical complications and disease.
There have been widespread disease outbreaks, with malaria, dengue, measles, polio (cVDPV2), hepatitis E, meningitis and diphtheria reported in several states, including Al Jazirah, Darfur, Gedaref, Khartoum, Kordofan, River Nile and White Nile. Across Sudan’s 18 states, more than two-thirds of health facilities remain non-functional.
Health facilities, ambulances, patients, and health workers have been repeatedly attacked, further reducing access to health care, particularly in conflict-affected areas where hospitals are only partially functioning or have closed due to the destruction of facilities and equipment.
Since April 15, 2023, WHO has verified 217 attacks on health care, resulting in 2,052 verified deaths and 810 verified injuries.
“The war in Sudan is devastating lives and denying people their most basic rights, including health, water, food and safety. The health system has been crippled, leaving millions without essential health care,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Doctors and health workers can save lives, but they must have safe places to work and the medicines and supplies they need. Ultimately, the best medicine is peace.”
Sudan is grappling with an unprecedented hunger and displacement crisis
Sudan is facing an unprecedented hunger crisis. Three years into the war, the country continues to slide into famine, which is characterized by widespread hunger and a significant surge in acute malnutrition. Sudan is the only country in the world where famine has been confirmed in multiple areas and continues to spread.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, over 19 million people in Sudan are currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse).
The rapid deterioration of food security has left approximately 146,000 people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5). More than 4.9 million people are estimated to be experiencing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
Over 4.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including 800,000 facing severe acute malnutrition.
Despite the return of approximately 4 million people to their communities since last year, nearly 14 million remain displaced due to ongoing warfare and earlier conflict. Sudan continues to experience the world's largest displacement crisis.
Although the total number of internally displaced people has decreased, nearly 9 million remain displaced within Sudan's borders amid continued returns to Khartoum and the eastern states. To date, nearly 5 million people have fled to neighboring countries due to the ongoing war or earlier conflict, and they urgently need support.
Humanitarian organizations warn that families displaced by the war in Sudan are facing extreme hunger, repeated displacement, and the total loss of their livelihoods. Many families have been displaced multiple times, compounding their losses and exacerbating their exhaustion.
The Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) requires US$1.6 billion in funding this year to support refugees and host communities in neighboring countries. Currently, the RRP is only 10 percent funded.
Marking today's grim milestone, the UN once again called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in line with international humanitarian law. The parties to the conflict are obliged under international humanitarian law to facilitate safe, rapid, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.
"And the response within Sudan and in neighboring countries must be urgently and fully funded, as delays continue to cost lives."