UN agencies have warned that nearly three years of sustained violence, restricted humanitarian access, and shrinking funding have pushed Sudan into the largest humanitarian emergency in the world. An estimated 33.7 million people—around two-thirds of the population—are expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026, with more than 20 million requiring health support and 21 million facing acute food insecurity.
The conflict began in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), quickly escalating into a civil war that spread from Khartoum to Darfur, Kordofan, and other regions. The fighting has devastated infrastructure, fractured state institutions, and left civilians exposed to widespread violence, displacement, and deprivation. Repeated ceasefire efforts have failed, and insecurity, bureaucratic constraints, and ongoing hostilities continue to block humanitarian access in many areas.
Sudan’s health system has been pushed to the brink of collapse due to ongoing fighting, mass displacement, and repeated attacks on medical facilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one third of health facilities nationwide are non-functional, leaving millions without essential care. Since the conflict began, WHO has verified 201 attacks on healthcare, resulting in 1,858 deaths and 490 injuries, violations that place patients, caregivers, and health workers at grave risk. Despite these challenges, WHO has delivered over 3,300 metric tonnes of medicines and medical supplies worth around $40 million, supported cholera vaccination campaigns, and facilitated access to care through hospitals, primary health centres, and mobile clinics.
Sudan is also experiencing the world’s largest displacement crisis, with approximately 13.6 million people uprooted by the conflict—around 9.3 million internally displaced and 4.3 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and disrupted services have contributed to outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, and measles across the country.
Children are among the most affected, comprising about half of those expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026. UNICEF reports that children continue to be killed and injured in the conflict, with recent attacks in North Kordofan claiming eight children’s lives in a single incident. In North Darfur alone, nearly 85,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition were treated between January and November 2025, highlighting the extreme scale of the crisis.
WHO and UNICEF stress that while humanitarian action is lifesaving, it cannot replace peace. Humanitarian partners require safe and unimpeded access to all areas of Sudan and increased financial resources to meet mounting needs. For children, UNICEF emphasizes that only an end to the fighting can restore safety, health, and hope. Both organizations call on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians, stop attacks on infrastructure, and allow sustained humanitarian access.
