More than 30 million people across Sudan now depend on urgent humanitarian support, including 9.6 million displaced inside the country and close to 15 million children, four United Nations agencies said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) urged the global community to respond swiftly to Sudan’s escalating emergency.
“Over 900 days of brutal fighting, widespread human rights violations, famine, and the collapse of essential services have pushed millions, especially women and children, to the brink of survival,” the statement said, reports UNB/AP.
Senior officials who recently travelled to conflict-affected zones, including Darfur and Khartoum, reported seeing widespread destruction. As the war enters its third year, basic systems such as hospitals and schools have been decimated. Famine was confirmed in some regions last year, and child malnutrition remains at dangerously high levels.
Despite a small number of families returning home in hopes of rebuilding, the situation remains precarious. “Yet Sudan remains a country in deep crisis,” said IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels.
Ongoing violence, red tape and logistical barriers have severely restricted access to people most in need, further undermining operations. “This is one of the worst protection crises we have seen in decades,” said UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements.
Compounding the crisis, funding for relief efforts continues to fall short. Only a quarter of the $4.2 billion required under the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan has been received.
The agencies called for an end to fighting, better protection for civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, streamlined procedures for aid delivery, immediate financial support to scale up operations and sustained assistance for the displaced and the nearly 900,000 refugees living in Sudan.
