Speaking from Khartoum, UN Refugee Agency representative in Sudan Marie‑Helene Verney said that since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces on April 15 2023, an estimated 14 million people have been forced from their homes.
About nine million remain displaced inside the country, while 4.4 million have fled to neighbouring states, mainly Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.
“Unfortunately, we are not seeing clear progress towards a resolution,” Verney said, noting that intense fighting continues in Darfur, the Kordofans and Blue Nile State. She added that the growing use of aerial bombardment and drone attacks has worsened the humanitarian situation.
Airstrikes are increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure without warning, she said, alongside widespread human rights abuses including massacres, arbitrary detention and forced recruitment. Women and girls are particularly exposed to conflict‑related sexual violence, often as they attempt to flee violence.
According to the UN human rights office, more than 500 survivors of sexual violence were documented in 2025 alone, while at least 11 300 civilians were killed during the year, with many others still missing.
Hunger is escalating alongside displacement. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said 21 million people are now facing acute food insecurity, including 6.3 million in emergency conditions. FAO representative Hongjie Yang said agricultural production has been severely disrupted, particularly in Khartoum State, while the destruction of veterinary laboratories has halted livestock vaccination.
Sudan’s health system has been “shattered,” according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO representative Dr Shible Sahbani said over 40% of the population needs urgent health assistance, with hospitals overwhelmed and disease outbreaks spreading. More than 200 attacks on healthcare have been verified since the war began, causing over 2 000 deaths.
Humanitarian access is also being affected by the conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted supply routes and increased aid delivery costs. UN agencies warned that without a political settlement and improved humanitarian access, Sudan’s crisis will continue to deepen.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
