Sudan's War Leaves 33.7 Million People in Urgent Need of Aid

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that 33.7 million people in Sudan will require emergency assistance in 2026, the highest level ever recorded in the crisis. Humanitarian partners have appealed for $2.9 billion to aid 20.4 million people this year, but only 16.3 % of the target population has received comprehensive assistance covering food, water and medical care. Sectors such as education, camp management and water‑sanitation show gaps of 83 %, 77 % and 60 % respectively, while food security has slightly exceeded its goal.

The conflict, which began on 15 April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced over eight million internally and forced more than 4.5 million to flee to neighboring states, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. Famine has been confirmed in seven zones, including El Fasher and Kadugli, and the UN‑backed fact‑finding mission concluded that the RSF have used starvation as a weapon of war. The United States remains the largest donor with $478 million, followed by the European Commission ($135.8 million) and the African Development Bank ($83.3 million).