Civilians continuing to bear the brunt of a war they did not choose.
According to the United Nations (UN) Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 9.3 million people have been uprooted inside Sudan, while more than 4.3 million have fled across borders, placing severe pressure on neighbouring countries. More than 21 million people are believed to be acutely food insecure nationwide.
While some displaced families have returned to the capital, Khartoum, the UN warns that conditions remain extremely dangerous, with unexploded ordnance posing a persistent threat to civilians. Fighting is also continuing across multiple fronts in the Kordofan region, further west.
OCHA Spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva that sieges have cut off the towns of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, and Dilling to the north, severely restricting access to food, healthcare, farms and markets.
In Darfur, ground fighting and drone attacks continue, while long-range missile strikes on civilian infrastructure have been reported far beyond front lines. Children remain among the most affected. Eight children were reportedly killed earlier this week in an attack in Al Obeid, North Kordofan.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)estimates that about 5 000 children have been displaced every day since fighting began in April 2023. Many have been forced to flee repeatedly as violence spreads. UNICEF has also warned that millions of children face the risk of sexual violence, with survivors including infants.
Women and girls are facing widespread abuse, with OCHA estimating that around 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Female-headed households are three times more likely to be food insecure, and about three-quarters report not having enough to eat.
Humanitarian operations have been hampered by severe funding shortfalls. Only 36% of the $4.2 billion requested for Sudan last year was funded. In response, OCHA plans in 2026 to assist 20 million people out of nearly 34 million in need, under a response plan costing $2.9 billion.
Aid agencies have renewed calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, full respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for relief operations across conflict lines, and protection of civilians, aid workers and civilian infrastructure, warning that without urgent action, the human toll will continue to rise.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
