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.

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.

THE UN Security Council meets in New York to discuss the Middle East. The session comes amid halting progress in Gaza’s fragile ceasefire and growing humanitarian needs after two years of war, with famine still looming in parts of the territory. The ambassadors will likely discuss the ICJ’s advisory opinion issued yesterday, affirming Israel’s obligation to allow aid agencies access under international law. Follow our in-depth live coverage from 10 a.m.; UN News app users can go here.

Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi, in a briefing from Damascus, called for a renewed commitment to women’s participation in the country’s political transition, saying their exclusion risks undermining hard-won progress.

Place at the table

“Syrian women have the right to participate fully and meaningfully in determining the future of the country,“, she said. “They have led and sacrificed for survival, justice and equality during more than a decade of conflict.”

She noted that although six women were elected to the 119 contested seats in the new Transitional People’s Assembly, “the share of women is incompatible with the societal and political role that Syrian women have long played,” according to the Supreme Elections Committee.

She urged authorities to “design future electoral processes to protect their legitimate right to participate and maximize opportunities for representation.”

Women’s participation is not symbolic but “a precondition for the rule of law and equality” in any post-conflict situationunderlined Ms. Rochdi.

Wider political situation

Turning to the broader political landscape, the Deputy Special Envoy described the October 5 indirect elections for the transitional legislature as “broadly peaceful,” although marred by underrepresentation of women and minorities and reports of opaque procedures.

She said the UN had not been involved but had “stressed the importance of transparency and inclusiveness”.

She also called for the lifting of economic sanctions “at a larger and faster scale to give this transition a chance to succeed“, asserting that “monumental levels of tangible support will be needed from the international community.”

Humanitarian crisis

On the humanitarian front, Ramesh Rajasingham from the UN aid coordination office, said More than 70 percent of Syrians still need help, with the U.N. response plan only 19 percent funded – one of the lowest among major global appeals.

Without additional funding, agencies will have to reduce staff numbers by January, he warned, noting that more than 340 health facilities have already suspended services, cutting off access to more than seven million people.

Mr Rajasingham called on ambassadors and the international community at large to act urgently.

“Syria has a viable path forward to Syrian-led recovery, supported by development partners,” he said. “But achieving this will require decisive and sustained action from the international community, including maintaining the flow of essential humanitarian assistance as these efforts progress.

Speaking to ambassadors for the first time as head of the UN office in Haiti (BINUH), Carlos Ruiz Massieu addressed the persistent gang violence and humanitarian crisis in the country, the political transition expected to take place next year and attempted to restore national security through the recently agreed agreements. Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

“Disastrous” circumstances

“There is no doubt that the circumstances are dire, but the Haitian people have not given up“, declared Mr. Massieu, who met with multiple political, international and civil actors in the country over the last two and a half months.

As armed groups increasingly target farming communities on the outskirts of the capital and other areas, he stressed that the scale and impact of internal displacement is “unprecedented,” amounting to more than 1.4 million displaced people.

“The human rights situation also remains very worrying, with widespread abuses linked to gang attacks, violence involving self-defense groups and even some security operations,” he added.

Political transition in progress

“I am concerned that a stable path towards the restoration of democratic governance has not yet been charted,” Massieu said of the transfer of power to elected officials expected to take place by February 7 next year.

He welcomed the actions of Haitian authorities to consult political representatives regarding the elections in order to avoid a political vacuum beyond February, noting that “Sustained inter-Haitian dialogue remains crucial to forging a renewed consensus on the way forward.”

BINUH will provide technical and logistical support ahead of the elections, he said.

A new strength, a sign of comfort

Mr. Massieu welcomed Security Council-supported the Gang Suppression Force and encouraged the authorities to take appropriate measures to strengthen security and ensure the protection of communities most affected by violence, particularly children.

He warned that the hostile security environment continues to affect Haiti’s international partners in the capital, but that he is leading BINUH’s efforts to achieve “100 percent staff presence in the capital as a matter of urgency.”

“The recent action of this Council was a signal to reassure the Haitian people that they are not alone – that the international community stands with them during this critical moment,” he said.

“Now is the time to quickly translate this signal into real progress and turn the tide of violence..”

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