Geneva, Switzerland — Humanitarian agencies marked 1,000 days of conflict in Sudan on Friday with a stark warning that the crisis has created the world’s largest hunger emergency and displacement catastrophe.
“Every day, civilians are paying the price for a war they did not choose,” said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to UN reports, more than 20 million Sudanese require health assistance, while 21 million are in urgent need of food. An estimated 13.6 million people have been displaced, making Sudan the largest displacement crisis globally. Over 4.3 million have fled across borders, putting immense pressure on neighbouring countries.
Conflict Intensifies Across Multiple Fronts
Fighting continues in Kordofan, particularly around the towns of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, and Dilling to the north, where sieges have restricted access to food, healthcare, farms, and markets, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva.
In Darfur, clashes persist on the ground alongside drone strikes and long-range attacks targeting civilian infrastructure far beyond active frontlines. Children continue to be killed or injured as fighting rages between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
UNICEF reports that an estimated 5,000 children have been displaced every day since the conflict began in April 2023. Many have been forced to flee repeatedly, facing violence wherever they go. “Behind every one of these numbers is a child, frightened, hungry, sick, and wondering why the world has not come to help,” said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires.
Women and Girls Face Worsening Vulnerability
Women and girls have been disproportionately affected, with rampant sexual violence and abuse reported. OCHA estimates that roughly 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Female-headed households are three times more likely to be food insecure, and three-quarters report not having enough to eat, Laerke said.
Funding Shortfalls Hamper Humanitarian Response
The global shortage of humanitarian funding has hampered aid efforts in Sudan. Of the $4.2 billion requested for 2025, only 36 percent was funded. Consequently, OCHA and its partners can only assist 20 million of the nearly 34 million people believed to need support, at a cost of $2.9 billion.
OCHA called for urgent international action: “First, an immediate cessation of hostilities and real steps towards a lasting peace,” Laerke said. “Second, adherence to international humanitarian law with access facilitated across conflict lines and protection of civilians, including aid workers and civilian infrastructure.”
The grim milestone of 1,000 days underscores the urgent need for global attention and sustained humanitarian support to address Sudan’s escalating crisis, which continues to devastate civilians, particularly children and women.
