Sudan Humanitarian Crisis

At least half the population, or 24.6 million people, face acute food insecurity, and 19 million do not have access to potable water. Approximately 638,000 people are suffering from the most severe levels of hunger, the highest number in the world. Many people are also dying of thirst.  

Where established humanitarian organizations can operate inside Sudan, they face disruptions from parties to the conflict. Where they can’t, local community kitchens and emergency response rooms (ERRs) have helped to feed people, though as of September 2025, many can only serve animal feed. The war has destroyed the economy,causing severe inflation, so even where food is available in markets, civilians cannot afford to purchase it.

The U.S. has cut 83% of its foreign aid, and the fate of the $126 million already committed to Sudan for 2025 remains unclear. Regardless, aid cuts have come at the height of Sudan’s humanitarian needs, exacerbating an already dire situation.

As of June 2025, about four million people can no longer access clean water. A lack of clean water across Sudan has led to the worst outbreak of cholera in years, with an estimated 124,000 cases and at least 3,355 deaths since July 2024. Most of these cases occurred in 2025. Malaria, dengue and measles are also spreading rapidly.

As of September 2025, over 20.3 million people (40% of the population) need urgent medical care. However, 80% of hospitals in the most conflict-affected areas of Sudan are out of service, and only 45% are functional in other regions.

Sudan is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change. These vulnerabilities include seasonal rains becoming more unpredictable and increasingly frequent droughts. Land degradation, desertification and deforestation compound the consequences of climate hazards. 

On Sept. 1, a massive landslide buried the entire village of Tarasin in Sudan’s Marrah Mountain after several days of heavy rainfall.

Tarasin is not reachable by car or other means of transportation. Many of the victims sought refuge there after fleeing their homes elsewhere in Darfur to escape the conflict. This landslide is one of the deadliest disasters in Sudan’s history. As of Sept. 6, 373 bodies have been recovered, but the final death toll is expected to exceed 1,000. Only 150 people evacuated to another location after the landslide.

According to April 2025 data from UN Women, “…In less than two years, the number of people at risk of gender-based violence has more than tripled. An estimated 12.1 million people, or 25 per cent of the population, are at risk … in 2024 Sudan saw a staggering 288 per cent increase in demand for gender-based violence services, compared to previous year.” There have been numerous reports of violence against women and girls since the fall of El Fasher. 

There are many reports of women and girls committing suicide to avoid systematic rape and other types of violence. Should women and girls migrate either within or outside of Sudan, they face an extreme risk of sexual violence. Over 90% of women and girls who migrate towards the Mediterranean will be sexually assaulted or forced into sexual slavery. 

Additionally, the RSF systematically murders men and boys, often based on ethnicity.  

As humanitarian access and aid shrink, more children than ever need support in Sudan. Over 16 million boys and girls need protection against violence, hunger, disease and displacement.

According to UN News, “The situation is being compounded by a deadly combination of interlinked factors, such as a ten-fold surge in the number of grave violations against children, namely killing and maiming; abduction; recruitment into armed forces and groups and use in hostilities; rape and other forms of sexual violence; attacks on schools and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian access.” The crisis has also exacerbated existing harmful coping mechanisms, such as child marriage.

Of the 17 million children who remain in Sudan, about 75% are out of school. However, as of September 2025, 45% of schools in Sudan (9,000 facilities) have reopened, with four million children returning. This development will help support children’s protection, psychosocial wellbeing, health and learning.

The Geneva Council of Rights and Liberties has declared that the RSF and allied Arab militias are undertaking an ethnic cleansing campaign against the ethnic Masalit and other non-Arab populations, predominantly in Darfur. They are systematically expelling, killing and terrorizing these communities to erase their presence in the region. Thousands of civilians have been killed on the basis of ethnicity, and satellite imagery confirms the “systematic dismantling” of Masalit neighborhoods.

On the other side of the conflict, “…the (Sudanese) army treats civilians from western Sudan as collaborators with the RSF, leading to ethnic cleansing campaigns,” stated Human Rights Watch. Several reports describe SAF and allied militias executing civilians from Darfur and South Kordofan, driven by the perception of their tribal loyalties.

For more information on the background, history and issues that have brought Sudan to the current crisis, please see:

• UNHCR: Sudan crisis explained
• The Economist: Why Sudan’s catastrophic war is the world’s problem
• Council on Foreign Relations: Civil war in Sudan
• CDP: 5 things you need to know about the Sudan humanitarian crisis