The ongoing conflict in Sudan has created the "largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis in the world," top aid officials told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. The war, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has left nearly two-thirds of the population—over 30 million people—in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Christopher Lockyear, head of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), criticized both warring parties for exacerbating civilian suffering by blocking aid and laying siege to towns. However, the RSF and SAF have denied these accusations, with Sudan’s U.N. Ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, stating that the government has a national plan for civilian protection.
The humanitarian crisis has deepened as famine grips at least five locations across Sudan, placing 1.3 million children under five at risk, according to Catherine Russell, head of UNICEF. Additionally, over three million children face the imminent threat of deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, and dengue, due to a collapsing health system. Despite these alarming reports, Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has claimed that the food situation remains stable.
The conflict has also led to a surge in sexual violence, with hundreds of children reportedly raped in 2024. Russell revealed that among the documented cases, 16 victims were under five years old, including four infants under the age of one. Lockyear further reported that MSF had assisted 385 survivors of sexual violence this year, with many victims attacked while working in fields.
A U.N. fact-finding mission previously reported in October that the RSF and its allies have committed widespread sexual violence. The U.S. government determined in January that members of the RSF and allied militias had committed acts of genocide in Sudan.
As the conflict continues with no resolution in sight, humanitarian organizations are urging the international community to take urgent action to address the crisis and ensure aid reaches those in need.