U.N. agencies warn that nearly three years of sustained violence, restricted humanitarian access and dwindling funding have pushed Sudan into what they describe as the world’s largest humanitarian emergency.
An estimated 33.7 million people, or around two-thirds of the population, are expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026. More than 20 million people now require health assistance, while 21 million face acute food insecurity.
Devastating impact
The conflict erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), plunging the country into a civil war that spread from the capital Khartoum to Darfur, Kordofan and other areas.
The fighting has devastated infrastructure, fractured state institutions and exposed civilians to widespread violence, displacement and deprivation.
Repeated ceasefire efforts have failed and large parts of the country remain inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity, bureaucratic constraints and ongoing hostilities.
Patients are treated in a tent outside a hospital in Khartoum, as Sudan’s health system is strained by attacks, shortages, epidemics and natural disasters.
A health system on the brink of the abyss
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Sudan’s health system is on the verge of collapse due to ongoing fighting, mass displacement and repeated attacks on medical facilities. More than a third of the country’s health facilities are not functioning, depriving millions of people of essential and life-saving care.
Since the start of the conflict, WHO has verified 201 attacks on health care, resulting in 1,858 deaths and 490 injuries. Such attacks violate international humanitarian law and expose patients, caregivers and health workers to serious risks.
“A thousand days of conflict in Sudan have brought the health system to the brink of collapse,” said Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative in Sudan. “Under the pressure of disease, hunger and lack of access to basic services, people are facing a devastating situation. “
Despite insecurity and access constraints, WHO continues to support life-saving services, having delivered more than 3,300 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies, worth approximately $40 million. It also supported cholera vaccination campaigns and helped millions of people access care through hospitals, primary health centers and mobile clinics.
Mass displacement
Sudan is also the world’s largest displacement crisis, with an estimated 13.6 million people uprooted by fighting – around 9.3 million internally displaced and an additional 4.3 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
Overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation and disruption of services have fueled outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue fever and measles across much of the country.
A child is screened for malnutrition at a UNICEF-supported nutrition center in North Darfur, Sudan, December 2025. The color red signifies severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
The children who bear the heaviest burden
Children represent around half of the people expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2026, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“Children continue to be killed and injured,said UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, noting that eight children were reported killed in a single attack in North Kordofan this week alone.
In North Darfur alone, nearly 85,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition were treated between January and November 2025 – or approximately one child every six minutes – highlighting the scale of the crisis.
Calls for peace and access
WHO and UNICEF emphasize that humanitarian action, even if it saves lives, cannot replace peace.
“To meet growing needs and prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control, WHO and humanitarian partners need safe and unhindered access to all regions of Sudan, as well as increased financial resources.” said Dr. Sahbani.
For children, UNICEF warns, only an end to fighting can stop the erosion of security, health and hope.
“All parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law: protect civiliansend attacks on infrastructure and enable safe, sustainable and unhindered humanitarian access,” said Mr. Beigbeder.
