Sudan faces massive humanitarian crisis amid ongoing civil war

Sudan is currently experiencing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations reporting that 33 million of the country’s approximately 52 million residents are in need of humanitarian aid.

The conflict is a civil war between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The roots of the current violence trace back to October 25, 2021, when the army and the RSF jointly overthrew the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Following the coup, the two factions divided the country's economic assets and intelligence services between them.

Tensions escalated into full-scale war in April 2023 when Hemedti attempted to oust al-Burhan. Experts suggest the power struggle is driven by mutual fears of being handed over to the International Criminal Court due to past atrocities committed during the Darfur war, where both leaders cooperated with former dictator Omar al-Bashir. Both warring parties remain heavily dependent on support from foreign powers.