Sudan Faces Worst Humanitarian Crisis Amid War, Cholera Outbreak, and Famine
Sudan has become the epicenter of the world’s largest and most overlooked humanitarian catastrophe, an Arab News feature reported. Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced more than 12 million people, including 4 million refugees fleeing across borders to neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan. The vast majority of those displaced are women and children, many forced to move multiple times with little to no aid or protection.
The conflict has devastated Sudan’s health system and infrastructure. Cholera, fueled by contaminated water and poor sanitation, has killed thousands in Darfur and other regions. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported at least 40 cholera deaths in Darfur alone in one week, with over 2,300 treated patients. Since the start of the outbreak, nearly 2,500 deaths have been recorded from almost 100,000 suspected cases. The outbreak is worsening due to mass displacement and scarcity of clean water, with many people surviving on less than half the minimum emergency water needs.
Food insecurity is dire, with famine officially declared in parts of Darfur and Kordofan. UNICEF reported a 46% rise in severe child malnutrition in Darfur, where thousands of children suffer and die from hunger-related complications. Aid groups accuse both warring factions of blocking relief efforts and weaponizing food and medicine access, worsening civilian suffering.
Political fragmentation threatens to deepen, with the RSF declaring a rival administration in Darfur and Kordofan, while the SAF controls central and eastern Sudan. Ethnic violence and allegations of genocide in Darfur compound the crisis, with widespread sexual violence and atrocities reported.
Despite urgent UN appeals for $6 billion in aid, donor fatigue and political disinterest have hampered the response. Local Sudanese and refugee-led organizations carry much of the humanitarian burden but face funding shortages and targeting by armed groups. Experts warn that without immediate, coordinated international action, Sudan risks descending into a humanitarian catastrophe comparable to or worse than past crises in Rwanda, Syria, or Yemen.
The world’s attention remains limited as millions of Sudanese continue to suffer from war, disease, hunger, and displacement, waiting desperately for aid that has yet to arrive.
