Sudan Conflict: UN Declares It the Largest Displacement Crisis of Our Time

The ongoing civil war in Sudan has escalated into what the United Nations describes as the largest displacement crisis of our time. Approximately 12.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes, with 8.6 million internally displaced within the country. Those who have crossed borders have primarily sought refuge in Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, or Egypt. In Chad, the medical infrastructure is severely lacking, with some areas seeing one doctor for every 25,000 people. Many displaced children are unable to attend school in these regions.

The conflict began in April 2023, when a power struggle erupted between Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Fighting initially broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread across the country. Multiple diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities have failed.

Currently, the Sudanese military controls the eastern and northern regions of the country, including Khartoum as of March 2025, while the RSF has taken control of most of Darfur in the west and large parts of the south. Both factions have repeatedly attacked civilians, with a recent RSF assault on the Samsam camp in Darfur resulting in the deaths of at least 450 civilians. Reports indicate that the RSF has committed mass atrocities against the Black population, with NGOs estimating the total death toll at around 150,000.

According to UN reports, 30 million individuals in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance. However, the funding for aid efforts is critically low, with only 10% of the required financial resources secured thus far. In August 2024, a famine was officially declared, starting in the Samsam camp and later extending to ten additional regions. Doctors Without Borders has warned that 17 other areas may also face famine conditions. Overall, approximately 26 million people in Sudan are suffering from acute hunger, with diseases such as measles, cholera, and diphtheria spreading due to malnutrition.

The humanitarian crisis has also seen a rise in sexual violence as a weapon of war. Reports have emerged of widespread rape occurring during the capture of cities, during flight, and in daily life. Women and girls are primarily affected, but even young children are not spared. In 2024, UNICEF reported 221 instances of sexual assault against minors, with the actual number likely being much higher. Some perpetrators have held women and girls captive as sex slaves, according to Amnesty International. Due to the stigma attached to sexual violence in conservative Sudanese society, many survivors refrain from reporting these crimes, even to family members. Tragically, several women in the Gezira region took their own lives in October 2024 after being victims of gang rapes by RSF fighters.

The number of survivors seeking support services has increased by 288% between December 2023 and December 2024, according to UN data. However, many still lack access to psychological care. Attacks on medical facilities and personnel remain common, with Doctors Without Borders recording over 80 violent incidents since the onset of the conflict. The World Health Organization has reported that 70% of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are either closed or barely operational.