Sudan is experiencing one of the world's largest humanitarian and displacement crises, with over 14 million people displaced and nearly 34 million in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, according to the International Rescue Committee. This figure represents 10% of global humanitarian needs.
Alan Boswell, Project Director for the Horn of Africa at the International Crisis Group, stated that the war in Sudan has not only caused a massive humanitarian crisis but has also escalated into a regional conflict involving neighboring countries and several Middle Eastern powers. He criticized world leaders for continuing to ignore the conflict, leaving its management to subordinates, a strategy he deemed ineffective.
Escalating Hunger and Displacement
The United Nations reports that approximately 19.5 million people are suffering from acute hunger, while 4.5 million have fled the country. The United States recently imposed additional sanctions on the Sudanese Armed Forces, alleging the use of chemical weapons in 2024, a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Sudanese government has denied these allegations.
Despite international efforts to mediate other global conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, and a fragile ceasefire with Iran, Sudan's crisis persists largely under the radar. Richard Data, Country Director for the International Rescue Committee, noted that warnings about Sudan being on the brink of catastrophe for three years have gone unanswered.
The civil war, which erupted in April 2023, is being fought between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The two generals had previously formed an uneasy alliance ruling the country after the 2019 overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir. They conducted another coup in 2021, ousting the interim civilian government.
Atrocities and Humanitarian Hotspots
Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF are accused of committing atrocities, with recent reports emphasizing the brutality of the RSF. El-Obeid, in North Kordofan state, has become a focal point of the deteriorating conditions, with an escalating hunger crisis affecting over 100,000 displaced people in camps around the city. Abdallah Alwardat, World Food Programme Sudan Country Director, highlighted the need to plan for scaling up support beyond the current 100,000 individuals.
El Fasher in the Darfur region is another significant flashpoint. The RSF gained control of the city in October 2025, and initial reports indicated over 6,000 deaths during the siege.
A July report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights detailed widespread sexual violence against women and girls, some as young as 12, including accusations of mass and gang rapes by the RSF. Survivors have described incidents of abduction, beatings, and forced transport.
Human rights groups, including the United Nations, have accused the RSF of ethnically targeted attacks and concluded that elements of genocide have been met, specifically the deliberate infliction of conditions of life intended to destroy a group. A September 2025 U.N. report also found that the Sudanese Armed Forces have committed war crimes, targeting civilian populations and infrastructure. Both factions are accused of targeting civilians perceived to be affiliated with the enemy, with executions, torture, and rape being commonplace.