Sudan is at the epicenter of one of the world’s “most serious” humanitarian crises, according to the UN.
More than 30 million people are now in need of emergency humanitarian assistance, including 9.6 million displaced people and nearly 15 million children caught in a daily struggle for survival.
“It is one of the worst protection crises we have seen in decades“, said Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
The agency, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (PAM) issued a joint humanitarian call to actioncalling for immediate international attention to address the “immense suffering and growing dangers” facing millions of people across Sudan.
Back to the rubble
As fighting improves in the capital Khartoum and other parts of Sudan, nearly 2.6 million people return to their damaged homesmany do not have access to water, health care or education.
“I met people returning to a town still scarred by conflict, where homes are damaged and basic services barely function. Their determination to rebuild is remarkable, but life remains incredibly fragile,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General of Operations.
Worse still, the spread of diseases such as cholera, dengue and malaria, combined with soaring malnutrition rates, puts thousands of people at imminent risk of death without immediate assistance, according to the IOM.
More than 260,000 civilians under siege
Meanwhile, more than 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, remain under siege in El Fasher, North Darfur, in what UN agencies have described as “deeply worrying”.
For more than 16 months, families have been deprived of food, water and health care. As health systems collapse, reports of killings, sexual violence and forced recruitment into armed militias continue to rise.
“Entire communities survive in conditions that defy dignity“, warned Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of UNICEF.
“Children are malnourished, exposed to violence and at risk of death from preventable diseases. Families are doing everything they can to survive, showing extraordinary determination in the face of unimaginable challenges,” he added.
Young men celebrate the liberation of a neighborhood in Khartoum in April 2025. (archive)
The challenges ahead
The humanitarian response in Sudan has reached more than 13.5 million people so far this year.
Despite this, the funding gap makes it increasingly difficult for the UN and its partners to provide appropriate assistance.
Totaling $4.2 billion, the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2025 remains seriously underfunded, at just 25 percent.
IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP remain committed to working together to provide life-saving assistance and protection to children and families across Sudan.
“The humanitarian community is ready to respond, but it cannot do it alone: urgent global support is needed to save lives and help communities rebuild,” humanitarian agencies stressed.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
