UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has highlighted the severe toll of the war in Sudan, which marked 1,000 days on Friday, emphasizing that civilians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict they did not choose.
According to OCHA, nearly 34 million people about two-thirds of Sudan’s population—now require humanitarian assistance, making the country the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The agency also reported that the conflict has created the largest displacement emergency globally, with 9.3 million people displaced within Sudan and over 4.3 million refugees in neighboring countries.
More than 21 million people are acutely food insecure nationwide. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 additional areas identified as being at high risk.
The UN agency warned that nearly 12 million people, primarily women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence, with households headed by women three times more likely to face food insecurity.
Sudan’s health system is reported to be near collapse, with fewer than half of health facilities fully functioning. Cholera has spread across all 18 states, and more than 72,000 suspected cases were recorded in 2025 alone.
OCHA has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, and protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.
The agency also urged renewed funding, particularly for local and women-led organizations providing essential services.
The conflict in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between government forces and paramilitary groups in Khartoum. It subsequently spread to other regions, with Darfur and Kordofan among the hardest hit.
