A new report by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Sudan Research Group has revealed that more than 61,000 people have died in Khartoum state alone since the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023. The figure is significantly higher than previously reported, with preventable diseases and starvation emerging as the leading causes of death across the country.
Of the total deaths in Khartoum, 26,000 were attributed directly to violence, while others succumbed to the devastating ripple effects of the war. The conflict has also claimed thousands of lives in other regions, especially in Darfur, where reports of ethnic cleansing and atrocities continue to surface.
Aid agencies describe Sudan as the site of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The 19-month conflict has displaced millions and pushed countless others to the brink of famine. Until now, the United Nations and other organizations had cited a far lower death toll of 20,000, reflecting the lack of systematic data collection in the war-torn country. In May, U.S. special envoy Tom Perriello suggested that casualties could be as high as 150,000.
The Sudan Research Group’s findings come amid renewed calls for international intervention. “The situation is catastrophic,” said lead researcher Mayson Dahab, emphasizing that 90% of deaths in Khartoum have gone unrecorded. The same could hold true for other regions, though insufficient data prevents a full assessment.
The study coincides with a report from Amnesty International, alleging that French-made military technology is being used in Sudan’s conflict in violation of a UN arms embargo. Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the warring factions, is employing UAE-supplied vehicles equipped with French Galix defense systems.
Amnesty shared images of destroyed vehicles with the Galix system visible, urging France and the UAE to cease such transfers immediately. "If France cannot guarantee that arms will not be re-exported to Sudan, it should halt these exports entirely," the rights group warned.
France and the UAE have yet to comment on the allegations, while the UAE has previously denied supplying arms to the RSF. Amnesty has also called for an expansion of the UN arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and for stronger monitoring mechanisms.
The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, and Sudan’s regular army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have been locked in a violent power struggle since April 2023. The RSF faces accusations of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, which it denies, blaming local militias. Both sides have been accused of war crimes.
In August, famine conditions were declared in parts of Darfur, with the World Health Organization (WHO) later describing starvation as “almost everywhere” in Sudan. “The massive displacement, famine, and disease are creating an alarming situation,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a recent visit.
Despite its severity, the Sudan conflict has been overshadowed internationally by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Activists are urging global attention to the mounting death toll and humanitarian disaster in Sudan.
With millions displaced, famine spreading, and deaths soaring, the Sudan civil war is a stark reminder of the urgent need for concerted global action to address its devastating consequences.