Around 25 million people (over half of Sudan’s inhabitants), of which 48% are children, urgently need humanitarian assistance in the country.
The conflict that started in April 2023 is causing immense suffering among civilians, with over 15,000 fatalities as of April 2024, although the data remain partial due to the extreme violence and limited communication and access. Violations of international human rights law and International Humanitarian Law by all parties to the conflict have been reported.
In 2023, Sudan became the second most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians, with at least 22 aid workers killed according to the Aid Worker Security Database. Medical staff and infrastructure are also increasingly being targeted, with 60 attacks verified by the World Health Organization since 15 April 2023.
The food insecurity and nutrition situation in Sudan has deteriorated significantly. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projection, released in December 2023, estimated that 17.7 million people would face a high level of acute food insecurity between October 2023 and February 2024, in what is traditionally the best period of the year. Since then, several projections have indicated accrued deterioration, with millions projected to suffer famine-like conditions, while a significant portion of the population will face serious food shortages. Access and security threats, roadblocks, and a lack of connectivity prevented the update of the latest IPC analysis, but an IPC alert indicates that Darfur, Khartoum, Kordofan, and Gezira states, where the delivery of humanitarian assistance remains extremely challenging, could face catastrophic outcomes.
Throughout the country, 70% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are considered out of service due to targeted attacks, occupation, looting of medicines and supplies, and an overall lack of medical staff and supplies. The disruption of basic public health services, coupled with a lack of access to water and sanitation systems, leads to disease outbreaks. These include malaria, measles, dengue and acute watery diarrhoea, diseases that had previously been under control. Since September 2023, a cholera outbreak has been ongoing in Sudan, with over 11,000 suspected cases reported in 11 states as of March 2024.
Shortages of food, clean water, medicines, cash, and fuel, along with limited communications and electricity, are being reported throughout the country.
A major protection crisis is ongoing, as the conflict has triggered urgent needs for protection, including mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and gender-based violence services, and child protection.
UNICEF estimates that about 19 million children in Sudan are out of school, as 10,400 schools (54% of the schools in Sudan) are closed.
The conflict is resulting in large waves of forced displacements, with over 8.6 million displaced people reported so far (29 March 2024). Out of these:
- over 6.6 million people, including at least 3 million children according to UNICEF, are internally displaced,
- over 2 million people have fled outside Sudan, the vast majority of whom are extremely vulnerable women and children.
Most of those displaced across Sudan or in neighbouring countries are in dire need of protection and basic humanitarian assistance, such as food, water, shelter, and health services, including mental health and psychosocial services.
Beyond the large-scale displacement across borders, the increase in armed actors and attacks along the border areas is a serious threat to regional security. Sudan’s neighbouring countries are also facing their own internal challenges.
The conflict is adding a new emergency to a humanitarian situation that was already deteriorating. Prior to the April 2023 conflict, the number of people requiring assistance had risen for 5 years in a row. There were already around 3.8 million internally displaced persons, including more than 418,000 newly displaced in 2022, fleeing violence and natural hazards. Sudan also hosted more than 1.1 million refugees – the second highest number in Africa – and almost all of them required humanitarian assistance.
The country’s political instability had led to a drastic reduction in the financial capacity to respond to the growing needs and ensure essential services. The donor base was reduced, and the gap between humanitarian needs and available resources was widening.
