Sudan Grapples with Returns and Renewed Violence Amid Urgent Aid Shortages

Sudan Grapples with Returns and Renewed Violence Amid Urgent Aid Shortages
—————————–
As more than 1.3 million displaced Sudanese individuals have returned to their homes amidst ongoing conflict, the nation is simultaneously facing renewed violence, highlighted by a recent deadly attack in West Kordofan, Anadolu Agency reported. United Nations agencies are urgently appealing for international aid to address the dire humanitarian needs.

According to a joint statement by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), over one million internally displaced people and an additional 320,000 Sudanese from Egypt and South Sudan have returned since last year. Despite some reduction in fighting, conditions on the ground remain perilous, marked by destroyed infrastructure, a lack of civil documentation, and persistent threats such as sexual violence and unexploded ordnance.

Humanitarian efforts are significantly underfunded, with aid agencies having received only 23% of the $4.2 billion required for operations within Sudan and a mere 16% of the $1.8 billion needed for Sudanese refugees abroad. Sudan currently hosts nearly 882,000 refugees and over 10 million internally displaced people, with hundreds more continuing to flee daily from Darfur and Kordofan. The UN agencies advocate for a political resolution to achieve lasting peace and full recovery.

Adding to the nation’s woes, a brutal attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Brima Rashid village in Sudan’s West Kordofan state on July 24, 2025, resulted in the deaths of at least 27 civilians and left 43 others seriously wounded. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that the RSF targeted unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, in their homes, denouncing the incident as a “massacre” and a “bloody crime.” The medical group condemned the attack as both a war crime and a crime against humanity, holding the RSF leadership fully accountable and urging immediate international intervention. They also called for the international community to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization, halt violations against civilians, and establish humanitarian corridors.