United Nations in Sudan

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Sudan:

Learn more

Publication

04 June 2025

UN Sudan Annual Results Report 2024

2024 marked yet another challenging year for Sudan.After nearly two years of ongoing conflict, Sudan has become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 12 million people have been displaced within the country and across its borders. Famine was confirmed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) in 10 locations, with an additional 17 areas teetering on the brink of famine.In April 2024, the UN and its partners launched a Famine Prevention Plan to scale up lifesaving assistance, including cash assistanceand community-based interventions, while advocating for broader humanitarian access. With $1.8 billion received in support last year, humanitarian organizations reached more than 15.6 million people across Sudan. Assistance included food and livelihoods support for more than 13 million people; water, sanitation and hygiene support; health, nutrition and shelter assistance.Notable progress was achieved through UN programmes and activities that implemented a mix of humanitarian and resilience interventions, including the successful delivery of aid across conflict lines to south Khartoum, marking the first such access since the conflict begun. The first batch of humanitarian assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) arrived in South Darfur. Access to improved basic water service reached 9.8 million people, 9.2 million received cholera vaccinations, and a malaria vaccine was introduced. Nearly 55,500 at-risk youth received vocational training. In addition, 300,000 square meters of land were cleared of mines, 19 human rights forums were held, seven human rights monitoring missions were conducted, and the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking resumed activities.However, humanitarian and development needs continue to grow, while insecurity and looting of partners’ assets and supplies have severely hampered response efforts. Targeted attacks, including airstrikes and assaults on aid convoys, further disrupted operations and tragically resulted in the deaths of United Nations employees in 2024.I would like to thank our partners and the dedicated UN staff in Sudan and beyond for their unwavering commitment and sacrifices in the face of such a challenging environment. The UN remains committed to sustaining and expanding our lifesaving efforts, while working to create conditions for recovery, strengthen resilience, and support a return to political negotiations, ultimately striving to alleviate human suffering and bring peace to millions of Sudanese.Clementine Nkweta-SalamiResident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan

1 of 5

Publication

12 November 2024

The Socio-Economic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households

New Study: Short-term humanitarian aid alone insufficient to address severe deterioration in employment, income, access to essential services and food security.Economic revival, social protection, and infrastructure rehabilitation are critical for urban recovery in Sudan.Nairobi, 12 November 2024 – Eighteen months of war have deeply affected urban households in Sudan: 31 percent have been displaced, full-time employment has plummeted by half, over 70 percent of the urban households in Sudan had all or some of school-aged kids stop attending school, and only one out of seven urban households can access full health services—concluded a new joint study from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), launched today."The Socioeconomic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households" study provides a comprehensive assessment of how the ongoing conflict affects urban households in Sudan. With two-thirds of the fighting concentrated in cities of over 100,000 people, understanding impacts of the war on urban livelihoods is crucial for addressing both immediate economic challenges and long-term development obstacles. The study is based on analyses of a comprehensive survey of urban households across the country that both organizations conducted between May 2024 and July 2024, including 3,000 households."The ongoing conflict is intensifying already critical challenges, including widespread food insecurity," said Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader for the Sudan Strategy Support Program at IFPRI. "In 2022, before the conflict began, only half of the population reported being food secure. Since then, the proportion of food-secure urban households has plunged from approximately 54 percent to just 20 percent.”The study observes that while the share of the population receiving assistance has increased overall during the conflict, a substantial 76 percent of the population reported receiving no assistance at all. Most reported relying on personal networks of family members and friends, rather than government institutions, international humanitarian agencies or domestic civil society organizations.“This study reveals significantly deepening vulnerabilities that Sudanese urban households are facing today on many fronts. No single intervention can adequately address this unfolding and multifaceted development crisis” stressed Luca Renda, UNDP Resident Representative in Sudan. “Expanding immediate short-term humanitarian relief is critical to help people survive and cope, but it will not be sufficient. It must be coupled with longer-term, development focused interventions that can help foster resilience and enable recovery.”The study emphasizes that addressing the challenges facing urban households in Sudan requires comprehensive, holistic multi-sectoral responses that go beyond a focus on alleviating immediate suffering to lay solid foundations for a sustainable recovery and durable resilience. Key actions required include:Implementing economic recovery programs that prioritize microfinance and business development services for more stable self-employment, support to small business, and vocational training.Expanding urban agricultural initiatives to help diversify food sources and offer sustainable access to the components of nutritious diets.Improving healthcare access by immediately deploying mobile health clinics while restoring and expanding affordable healthcare services.Restoring remote learning solutions and platforms as well as community-based centres to ensure that Sudan’s human capital is not irreversibly harmed, while working on rebuilding the education system with a focus on providing financial assistance to affected families.Increasing private-public partnerships and investment in decentralized systems, such as solar energy, rainwater harvesting and local sanitation solutions while working on restoring water, sanitation, and electricity infrastructure systems.Expanding and strengthening formal social protection programs to foster greater economic resilience, reduce reliance on informal networks and ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable.Prioritizing housing, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities for displaced households.Additional Key FindingsThe proportion of urban households reporting having no income or employment has " surged to 18 percent compared to 1.6 percent pre-conflict. Unemployment is projected to surpass 45 percent by the end of 2024.While Sudan is now among four countries in the world with the highest prevalence of acute malnutrition, estimated at 13.6 percent, nearly half of the urban population faces moderate to severe food insecurity.Over 56 percent of urban households reported being in poorer or much poorer health than they were pre-conflict, as access to full health services dropped dramatically from 78 percent to 15.5 percent.While 63.6 percent of urban households reported that all school-age children in the household have ceased attendance, over 88 percent had at least one school-aged child ceased attending school since the conflict began.Access to piped water has decreased from 72.5 percent to 51.6 percent, while nearly 90 percent of households reported deteriorating reliability of electricity supply. The Arabic version of the report will be available shortly For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:UNDP | Robert Few | UNDP County Office in Sudan Robert.Few@UNDP.orgIFPRI | Evgeniya Anisimova | Media and Digital Engagement Manager | IFPRI – Washington DC e.anisimova@cgiar.org | +1 (202) 726-4394 About IFPRIThe International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. IFPRI’s strategic research aims to identify and analyse alternative international and country-led strategies and policies for meeting food and nutrition needs in low- and middle-income countries, with particular emphasis on poor and vulnerable groups in those countries, gender equity, and sustainability. It is a research centre of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development. www.ifpri.org About UNDPUNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. http://www.undp.org

1 of 5

Speech

23 September 2024

Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan calls for end of hostilities, protection of civilians, and unimpeded access

Port Sudan -- As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, urged Member States and the international community to focus on the plight of millions of people in Sudan who have endured more than 17 months of brutal conflict, which has resulted in the world’s fastest-growing civilian displacement and humanitarian crisis.“Humanitarians across Sudan are calling on the international community to step up to end the devastating conflict and ensure unrestricted access so that more than 150 aid organizations operating in the country can reach the millions of people facing acute hunger and disease – and staring down famine,” Ms. NkwetaSalami said.The crisis in Sudan and the region will take centre stage at UN Headquarters on Wednesday, 25 September, when Member States join together with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Refugee Agency, to call for urgent and collective support to address the humanitarian catastrophe and push for peace.“This is exactly why the UN was created: to prevent war and alleviate human suffering,” the Humanitarian Coordinator added. "Each passing hour means women and children in parts of El Fasher, Khartoum, Aj Jazirah, Sennar and other areas directly affected by conflict are likely dying from hostilities, malnutrition, or illness.”Since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured. More than 10 million people – or over one in every five people – have fled their homes, including 8.1 million who have been displaced within Sudan and another 2.4 million who crossed the borders to neighbouring and other countries.In recent days, at least 1,500 people were displaced from El Fasher, capital of North Darfur State following the escalation of hostilities in the town. “Once again, I urge the parties to halt attacks on civilians, homes and essential facilities, such as hospitals, which are protected under the international humanitarian law,” Ms. Nkweta-Salami said.The situation in and around El Fasher is of particular concern, after the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine conditions in the Zamzam displacement camp in August. Another 13 areas, including two other displacement camps in North Darfur, are likely experiencing similar conditions and need urgent access and assistance.Meanwhile, the outbreak of cholera and incidences of water or vector-borne diseases are aggravating the already dire situation that malnourished people, especially children and women, are facing. According to the Sudanese authorities, the number of cholera cases reported over the past two months has reached 13,300, including 415 related deaths.Despite insecurity, access and funding challenges, humanitarian partners provided more than 8 million people across Sudan with some form of humanitarian assistance this year. Over the past week, humanitarian organizations started distributing emergency food aid for about 180,000 people in Zamzam camp.Meanwhile, following the re-opening of the Adre border point between Chad and Sudan, UN aid agencies have moved 135 trucks with essential life-saving supplies for about 520,000 people via the crossing. “The aid through Adre and food for people in Zamzam camp, where famine has been confirmed, are a testament to what the UN and humanitarian partners can accomplish,” the Humanitarian Coordinator said. “However, unrestricted access and additional funding are critical to reach more people in acute need.”Nine months into the year, the Sudan humanitarian appeal, seeking US$2.7 billion, is less than 50 per cent funded. This is constraining and limiting the response efforts of the UN, international and national NGOs on the ground, including in Darfur, Khartoum, Kordofan and other areas.

1 of 5

Story

15 September 2025

Anchors of Hope: Women driving recovery and resilience

The Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has created one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises. Today, an estimated 30.4 million people need assistance and more than 14.2 million have been displaced with nearly 10 million within Sudan and over 4.2 million in neighbouring countries. Rural communities have suffered deep losses as farms are abandoned, markets disrupted, and food prices soar. In this fragile environment, women are especially vulnerable. Yet many have emerged as vital leaders, protecting their families, land and dignity.Madina: Farmer, Leader, MotherIn Kalahoot Scheme in Kassala State, Madina Ibrahim Mohamed, a 47-year-old smallholder farmer and a mother of three, became one of those leaders. With a lifetime of experience in agriculture and livestock, Madina already played a key role in her community. She leads the Voluntary Women Farming Groups of the Kalahoot Scheme and is an active member of the Women Development Network in Kassala. She also works as a community Animal Health Worker and a local agricultural extensionist, advising others on field crops and vegetable production. Despite limited formal education, Madina pushed forward with her studies and enrolled at Sudan Open University, a testament to her determination to continue growing in the face of adversity.“We, as women, live the daily consequences of conflict, yet our voices are rarely included,” said Madina. “True change will only come when women and girls are empowered through education, training, and leadership opportunities to shape the peace our communities so urgently need.”Choosing Kindness in CrisisWhen the conflict broke out in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, Madina’s world was turned upside down. Still, in the midst of uncertainty, her family chose kindness. They welcomed three displaced families into their modest home, sharing every meal, every space, and every ounce of hope they had for nearly two years.“The conflict has weighed heavily on us. Everything is so expensive now,” Madina said. “We manage with what little we have, and even when there’s nothing, we stay thankful.” But their generosity stretched their resources thin. Long before the planting season, they had already exhausted their small reserves of sorghum and cash, leaving them without seeds or money to cultivate their fields. Women Rising TogetherMadina was determined to change her future, refusing to let hardship define her life. Together with 218 women farmers, she organized a local response, reaching out to government institutions, UN agencies, and both national and international NGOs for support. FAO was the first to respond in 2024, delivering sorghum seeds through its emergency seed distribution campaign, a lifeline amid Sudan’s deepening hunger crisis. With seeds in hand, the women were able to rent land at low cost, cultivate in time for the rainy season and produce a considerable harvest of sorghum and vegetables.“This support truly empowered women,” said Aisha Osheik, FAO Sector Coordinator. “They chose to lead, to make decisions and to carry out the work themselves. It gave them independence and, more importantly, it gave them hope at a time when everything felt uncertain.”Beyond Food ProductionThe impact went beyond food production. With support from Kassala Microfinance Institution, 48 women received seed money to launch small income-generating activities by selling soap, oil, biscuits and other local goods. All the women successfully repaid their loans within ten months and have continued their businesses independently.Resilience Rooted in the LandThrough personal hardship and community struggle, Madina continues to lead with strength, humility and vision. Her story reflects the resilience of Sudanese women who, even in crisis, remain deeply rooted in their land and their role as providers — and who are choosing to rise, organize and lead. What started as a struggle for survival has grown into new skills and a source of confidence and resilience.

1 of 5

Story

15 September 2025

Rebuilding Sudan’s health system through digital innovations

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has crippled the health system, leaving millions of children and families without access to essential services. More than 70 per cent of health facilities are non-functional, medicine supplies have been disrupted, and entire communities in conflict zones are cut off.To respond to these challenges, UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, and WHO under the Sudan Health Assistance and Response to Emergencies (SHARE) project funded by the World Bank- has launched three digital health innovations to rebuild and strengthen Sudan’s health system. From real-time and remote patient consultations and medicine subscriptions, to outbreaks response and frontline worker training, these tools offer a glimmer of hope.The digital health solutions, which will be rolled out across all 18 states, are designed to:Improve the quality of healthcare services and facilitate access especially for the most marginalized communities far from fixed health facilities and those trapped in conflict areas.Empower frontline workers to reach children and their families even in the remotest places.Build a more resilient and sustainable health system.In a country focused on restoring health services, deploying digital innovations will support continuous professional development for frontline workers, enable remote consultations and patients’ interactions, and improve coordination and governance- revitalization health systems and easing access to services for women and children.Improving access to health care will also help rebuild public confidence in a system that currently leaves many underserved, especially in conflict-affected areas.“We welcome this partnership and the deployment of these technologies. They are essential to strengthening our health system, supporting our frontline workers, and ensuring that no child is left behind,” said Dr. Heitham M Awadalla, Federal Minister of Health.The digital health solutionsCare ConnectA communication platform to improve coordination between healthcare workers – the backbone of the health system- and the Ministry of Health leadership. By improving governance, engagement, and efficiency, Care Connect l builds a more responsive health system that benefits women and children through better service delivery. IConnectFor families unable to access health facilities, IConnect will provide telehealth consultations through voice, video, and text messages, along with medication and laboratory test requests supported by electronic medical records. It removes physical barriers to healthcare access, enabling early diagnosis and treatment, especially for women and children in remote areas, while providing health workers with real-time feedback to improve quality of care. ZAMWContinuous training for health workers is central to improving service quality. ZAMW, an AI-powered mobile app, supports frontline workers with continuous learning through interactive learning tools like video lessons, quizzes, and educational games aligned with evolving treatment guidelines. This enhances patient outcomes while ensuring health workers are well-equipped to respond to community health needs.Rollout and impact The launch and subsequent roll-out of the digital solutions follows a successful pilot phase that reached over 5,000 health workers in five primary health care facilities and a referral hospital. The innovations will now be deployed in over 400 health facilities, supporting over 3,000 health workers and reaching nearly 500,000 children directly or indirectly across Sudan. The benefits are visible. “Using IConnect is straight forward. I now can send test results and follow up with the doctors regularly. It saves time and enables us serve people faster and more efficiently with less effort,” Haider, a nurse.“This is the first time that we feel connected as health workers,” Sitna, a general practitioner. “Through Care Connect we share information and experiences with our colleagues in other states.” “The videos on the ZAMW platform explain concepts in a simplified way and in our local dialect. This has boosted my confidence especially during this emergency,” Tasneem, a medical doctor.Speaking at the launch event, the UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett said – “The health system in Sudan is facing immense challenges.” “Many hospitals and clinics are no longer operational, and health workers are doing their best under incredibly difficult conditions.”“The three digital tools being introduced are practical, scalable solutions that respond directly to the needs of health workers and communities.”By investing in digital health innovative solutions, UNICEF is not only strengthening Sudan’s healthcare systems but also improving quality and access to healthcare especially for the most disadvantaged and ensuring better health outcomes for millions of children in Sudan, amidst the conflict.

1 of 5

Story

27 August 2025

Life begins on the run

Seated next to her makeshift shelter, Amani wraps her youngest child in a coloureful toub - a traditional Sudanese women garment, to protect her from the cold, carefully covering the her head. She doesn’t have much to wrap the newborn in, having left most of her belongings behind when she recently fled the clashes in Al Fasher.

Just a few months ago, Amani had been looking forward to her baby’s birth. Together with her family, she anxiously waited for the arrival of the new addition and the celebration that would follow.

But as the days got closer, fighting in her neighbourhood escalated and engulfed the entire village. “We hid under the beds throughout the day and only came out on the evening,” she recalled.This went on for days. With no end in sight, the family had to flee.
From Al Fasher, they moved to Hirja for a night before continuing to Zamzam. But the situation there was even worse.

With each move, Amani became more exhausted – and every new condition posed greater risks to her life and the unborn baby.

“There was no food, no water and no one to help us.”

The situation would later worsen when the rain began. For days, the family survived on rainwater and bread from strangers.

Amani worried constantly about her baby. Was she eating enough? Was the baby still healthy? All she wanted was to give birth safely and to a healthy child.

But before they could settle in the oasis where they had briefly found shelter, fighting closed in again. And by now, her baby was almost due.

With no hospital in sight and no health workers around, Amani was forced to deliver in unsafe and high- risky conditions. Delivering on the road Amani is one in thousands of women in Sudan who cannot access maternal and newborn health services during pregnancy and delivery during the ongoing conflict. With health systems severely disrupted, unsafe deliveries are increasing- putting the lives of both newborns and mothers at grave risk.

As her family fled between Sharga and Tawila, Amani went into labour. Her baby arrived by the roadside with support from her mother and nearby residents."I gave birth under a tree, lying on a small mat,” she said. Too weak to carry her newborn or continue the journey, Amani rested for a week before finally reaching Tawila with her family. She remembers being fed only a mixture of water and flour to support her recovery from childbirth.

For mothers like Amani, postnatal care during emergencies is nearly impossible to access—yet it is critical for survival and long-term recovery. In Sudan, 70 per cent of health facilities are non-functional. In safer areas, the remaining facilities are overwhelmed by waves of displaced people, while mobile communities are left struggling to access critical care.

Today, Amani and her family join thousands of displaced people in Tawila who have fled violence in Al Fasher, Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and other IDP camps in North Darfur.

To respond to the crisis, UNICEF has activated mobile clinics to reach vulnerable and displaced communities. Through 14 Primary Health Care centres and two mobile clinics, critical services- including immunization, maternal care, and nutrition- are provided to those in need.

1 of 5

Story

27 August 2025

“He gave everything for others.”

“Ben and I built a beautiful life together,” says Caroline Naktari proudly.Her office in Nairobi, where she works as a Human Resources Officer with OCHA, is dotted with photographs of her family, depicting deep love and happy times together. “I’m a mother of seven – two girls and five boys,” she begins, breaking from a silent, pensive reflection. “Our youngest is just eight years old.” Caroline’s voice is steady, but behind it lies a story of profound love, sacrifice and unimaginable loss.Her husband, Benjamin, was the Head of Field Office for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan. But to Caroline, he was much more than a humanitarian.“Benjamin was, without a doubt, one of the best creations to ever walk this Earth,” she says, her face lighting up briefly with a tender smile. “He was my friend, confidant, buddy, mentor, colleague, big brother, greatest love and devoted husband. He was incredibly kind, selfless, fatherly and grounded in deep conviction.”Benjamin’s work took him to Yabus, one of Sudan’s most remote and challenging locations. “No international staff stayed more than eight weeks,” Caroline recalls. “But Ben didn’t mind that his ‘bedroom’ had walls and ceilings lined with UNHCR [UN Refugee Agency] bags. He had a nice house back home in Nairobi, but that never impressed him. He was unattached to comfort, drawn instead to purpose.”Benjamin told Caroline that every night before sleeping, he would check his room for reptiles and scorpions. “Yet none of that deterred him,” she says. “His joy came from reviewing M&E [monitoring and evaluation] reports and assessments. I learned so much about WFP just by watching him.”A dedicated professional, Benjamin saw his role not as a job but a calling. “He believed it was a God-given role,” Caroline explains. “No salary could match the sacrifice and danger. He led with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility.”Even during his official Rest and Recuperation (R&R) breaks, Benjamin remained connected to his work. “He was always on his phone – monitoring distributions, logistics; his heart was fully in it. He used to say in Swahili, ‘Hawa ni ndugu zetu’ – these are our brothers and sisters.”Humanitarian work is moving away from the traditional practice of giving handouts to people in need, focusing instead on a more dignified approach. Benjamin was deeply committed to this. “He was proud of WFP’s shift from direct aid to sustainable models, like cash transfers,” Caroline says. “He believed in empowering communities, especially through nutrition and education.”But working in Sudan came with risks. “He often spoke about the toll it took on his health,” Caroline shares. “Even the care packages I sent during his R&R breaks didn’t last – he shared them with colleagues. We were worried. I had arranged to channel half my salary into his account starting January 2026 so he could come home and explore other opportunities.”But that was never to be, as everything changed on 19 December 2024.“He had just completed his handover and was scheduled to travel home the next morning for his late brother’s funeral,” Caroline recounts. “He stepped out of his office to call me – something we had planned an hour earlier. It was in the very act of dialling my number that he was hit by an aerial strike.”Caroline would later learn that the bomb landed just behind him. “The shrapnel tore through his back, shattering his ribs, lungs and heart,” she says. “He stopped breathing within eight minutes. I was part of the postmortem process. It was devastating.” Caroline speaks of her family’s faith and how they were bound together by a solemn family routine, often taking turns to pray for one another at a dedicated time in the evening. It was during such a time that she received the news. “It was his turn to pray for us that evening. We couldn’t reach him on the phone. The notification still feels fresh. I regretted every bit of having him in Sudan.”Every night at 10:38 p.m., Caroline feels the chill: “That was the moment the call came in. That time of night has never been the same.”Losing Benjamin has left a deep void. “It feels like I fell into an endless pit,” Caroline says. “Our 10-year-old son dreads visiting the grave. He always asks if we can bring Daddy back.”To Caroline, Benjamin was more than a husband and father. “We lost our family’s leader, our priest, a mentor, a friend, a confidant. And yes, WFP lost a dedicated colleague.”But Benjamin’s legacy lives on. “My son recently graduated and wore his father’s suit and shoes – to step into his footsteps,” she says with a soft smile.Caroline finds strength in memories and small sentimental items. “I wear his watch and perfume to cherish all the moments. He was a cool guy. We had the best family life, a quality marriage and so much joy.”She also has advice that she’s not shy to share with other families and the humanitarian community: “Value every opportunity God gives you with your loved ones – especially those working in high-risk duty stations. You never truly know if that ‘goodbye’ might be the final one.”She adds: “I saw Ben off at Terminal 1, full of life and purpose. Four weeks later, I received him at Terminal 2 – the cargo section. No one prepares you for that kind of return. And nothing remains the same after it.”Caroline’s story is just one of many families of humanitarian workers who paid the ultimate price for their dedication to alleviating the suffering of millions of people in need. Last year, more than 380 aid workers were killed in their line of duty around the world, making it the deadliest year on record. But 2025 may be worse – at the time of publishing this story, more than 250 aid workers have been killed. Killing aid workers has become normalized; their deaths rarely make the headlines, even though their work – meant only to save lives and ease suffering – is underfunded, overstretched and literally under attack. Violations of international humanitarian law continue, with every red line crossed meeting with impunity, indifference and hypocrisy. Yet humanitarians do not give up; they still head towards gunfire, checkpoints and danger to deliver aid to people who need it most.This World Humanitarian Day, aid workers are renewing their call for respect for the rules of war, the protection of those who protect humanity and an end to impunity. FootnotesText: Basma Ourfali and Joshua Mmali. Cover Photo: UNOCHA/ Basma Ourfali

1 of 5

Story

13 August 2025

WFP calls for humanitarian access, as Sudanese city grapples with starvation

Surrounded by burlap bags and a sea of sand, eight-year-old Sondos describes fleeing Sudan’s war-besieged city of El Fasher with her family, after weeks surviving on only millet. “Hunger forced us to leave,” said the little girl, speaking from Tawila displacement camp, roughly 75 kilometres away. “Only hunger and bombs,” she added of the shells raining down on North Darfur’s capital.Today, hundreds of thousands of people still trapped in El Fasher face starvation, as the city remains cut off from World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian assistance. The hunger crisis comes one year after famine was first confirmed in the country. Since then the situation, especially in El Fasher, has only gotten worse, as the country’s devastating war grinds on.“Everyone in El Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “People’s coping mechanisms have been completely exhausted by over two years of war.”Sudan’s conflict has created the world’s largest hunger crisis, with around 25 million people - half the country’s population - facing acute hunger, and 3.5 million women and children facing malnutrition..In El Fasher, some residents are reportedly surviving on animal fodder and food waste. And while WFP continues providing digital cash support to roughly a quarter-million people in the city, allowing them to buy the dwindling food left in the markets, the assistance dwarfs the escalating needs - making it imperative to deliver in-kind assistance to address hunger at scale. Sustained access vitalWith trade routes and supply lines into El Fasher blocked, prices have soared, including for staples like flour or sorghum. Community kitchens, set up to feed hungry people, have largely stopped functioning. Many of those who managed to flee describe an escalation of rampant violence, looting and sexual assault in the city.“Without immediate and sustained access,” for humanitarians, Perdison said, “lives will be lost.”Like Sondos and her family, many managing to leave El Fasher have ended up in Tawila. But the camp’s makeshift tents dotting the sand offer little protection from the rainy season now setting in. And for the camp’s roughly 400,000 residents - many of whom arrived with just the clothes on their backs - WFP rations of nutrient-packed high-energy biscuits, sorghum, vegetable oil and salt are often their only sustenance.Another Tawila resident, 47-year-old Mohamed, recounted a harrowing journey: from North Darfur’s famine-hit Zamzam displacement camp, to El Fasher, and finally to Tawila.

People died of thirst along the way, he said. “Many of them were begging for water,” Mohamed added, describing how a single cup was divided among four people. “Each person had to have only one sip, just enough to reach their stomach."Tawila’s displaced count among the more than four million Sudanese WFP supports monthly. Many are located in the hungriest and most conflict-hit parts of the country. We are also supporting more than 600,000 women and children with nutritional supplements.That assistance has made a powerful difference: helping to reduce catastrophic hunger in parts of Central and West Darfur, for instance. But these gains are fragile, while access remains blocked to key hunger hotspots like El Fasher. Food trucks on standby“WFP is ready with trucks full of food assistance to send into El Fasher,” says Corinne Fleischer, WFP’s Director of Supply Chain and Delivery. “We urgently need guarantees of safe passage.” WFP has received clearances from the Humanitarian Aid Commission in Port Sudan for a convoy of humanitarian assistance to proceed to El Fasher. The Rapid Support Forces, who have held the North Darfur capital under siege for over a year, are yet to communicate support for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian goods to move into the city.For Tawila’s displaced families, hunger and conflict are closely linked. One mother, Jamila, described how her sister died of starvation earlier this year at Zamzam camp. “The worst thing we faced was hunger and the loss of our brothers and sisters. It’s hard to lose a sibling forever,” she says. “The hunger that also persists until today is very difficult”.Jamila’s family made the journey to Tawila by foot, she said, walking at night with dozens of other families. Fellow Sudanese helped them at water points along the way.WFP assistance has helped as well.
 
“I can boil it or mill it and prepare several meals with it,” she says, “to last through the days where we don’t have anything.”WFP requires US$645 million over the next six months to continue emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance in Sudan.WFP’s emergency response in Sudan is made possible through contributions from our donors including the African Development Bank, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, KS Relief, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Netherlands, Norway, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Saudia Arabia, South Korea, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

1 of 5

View all

Press Release

17 September 2025

UNESCO Sudan Office Hosts Three-Day Workshop on Ethical Journalism and Countering Hate Speech in Sudan

Organized by UNESCO’s Sudan Office Communication and Information Sector, with the support of UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo, the training, was held in collaboration with the Khartoum Media Centre and with the continued support of the Sudanese Ministry of Culture and Information.Taking place at a time when many of Sudan’s media outlets remain disrupted by war, divisive rhetoric continues to spread, and hate speech campaigns continue to escalate, the workshop provided an important space for dialogue, learning, and solidarity among Sudanese journalists.“Today, there are more content creators and publishers than there are receivers, creating an overwhelming flow of information that leaves audiences confused and disengaged.” noted one participant.The program combined intensive training with practical tools and international best practices to help journalists confront and combat hate speech and disinformation in their daily work. Through interactive sessions, participants examined a wide range of topics, including:What is Hate Speech?The Difference Between Freedom of Opinion and Hate SpeechThe Role of Media in Combating Hate SpeechWhere Does Hatred Come From?Strategies for Addressing Hate Speech in Media and SocietyWhy Should Hate Speech Be Addressed?By the end of the workshop, participants left not only with strengthened professional skills but alsowith a renewed commitment to ethical journalism as a cornerstone for peace, dialogue, and mutual understanding in Sudan.UNESCO highlighted its global and national efforts to counter hate speech, referencing its UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, the Addressing Hate Speech through Education toolkit, and the Journalists’ Safety Indicators, all key guidelines that help media professionals respond to the dangers of disinformation and incitement in times of crisis.“In times of crisis, misinformation and hate speech spread quickly, often faster than the truth. They can deepen divisions, exacerbate violence, and undermine trust in institutions. By equipping media professionals with these tools, UNESCO helps ensure that the media remains a force for peace, dialogue, and social cohesion.” Mr. Junaid Sorosh-Wali, Head of UNESCO Office in Sudan.This workshop reflects UNESCO Sudan Office’s continued commitment to stand alongside Sudanese media at a time of immense challenge for the country. By equipping journalists with the skills to counter hate speech and disinformation, UNESCO and its partners seek to empower the media to serve as trusted voices for their communities, fostering peacebuilding and providing accurate information when it is needed most.“The facilitators created a truly open space for discussion, making every session interactive and empowering us to speak freely while gaining practical skills to combat misinformation and hate speech.” noted another participant.The workshop called for stronger collaborations to build the capacities of Sudan’s media professionals, develop context-specific training materials, and expand outreach across all states. It stressed the importance of engaging more content creators, students, and youth to foster innovation and inclusivity, creating a resilient media sector that informs the public and counters disinformation and hate speech. The collaboration with the Khartoum Media Centre and the unwavering support of the Ministry of Culture and Information demonstrate a shared dedication to protecting freedom of expression and ensuring that Sudanese journalists are empowered to report responsibly, uphold ethical standards, and contribute to reconciliation and social cohesion.“Despite starting from scratch, there was no room for despair or surrender. I built new networks, created Al-Nasr News, and kept reporting, turning life’s bitter lemons into sweet juice even as war forced me from one state to another.” noted a third participant.The UNESCO Sudan Office, with the support of the UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo, will continue to deliver trainings and implement activities that safeguard the role of independent media and promote responsible journalism, critical pillars for peace and stability in Sudan.

1 of 5

Press Release

16 September 2025

FAO moves to protect 9.4 million livestock in nationwide vaccination campaign

Port Sudan/Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Sudan, has launched the 2025 national livestock vaccination campaign to safeguard livelihoods of over three million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists across the country gripped by a major food crisis.The initiative which will run from October 2025 through January 2026 aims to protect around 9.4 million animals from highly contagious and deadly transboundary and zoonotic animal diseases, with a particular focus on peste des petits ruminants (PPR), sheep and goat pox (SGP), contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP), African horse sickness (AHS), as well as anthrax.Livestock is the backbone of Sudan’s rural economy, providing millions of people with food and nutrition security, income, and livelihoods. Healthy herds are also critical for maintaining the country’s position as one of the largest livestock-exporting countries in the region, generating valuable hard currency earnings. The vaccination campaign will generate indirect benefits for domestic and regional consumers of animal protein, as well as livestock service providers across Sudan and in neighbouring Arab and Gulf countries.“This vaccination campaign comes at a critical time as Sudan faces a worsening food insecurity crisis,” said Hongjie Yang, FAO Representative in Sudan. “Protecting animal health is essential not only for safeguarding the livelihoods of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist families, but also for ensuring the availability of milk, meat, and income that millions of people rely on.”“With the support of our partners, we are not only protecting herds, but also strengthening food security and nutrition and the national economy,” added Yang.This vaccination drive is in response to Sudan’s deepening food crisis. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, famine has been confirmed in parts of Sudan, including Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps in North Darfur, and in the Western Nuba Mountains for both residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Around 24.6 million people were projected to face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, including at least 638,000 people facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) through May 2025.To overcome access constraints, FAO is piloting cross-border vaccine delivery to Darfur and West Kordofan through Chad for the first time, in close collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and FAO Chad. This approach is designed to ensure vaccines reach vulnerable communities in hard-to-access areas.This vaccination drive has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union (EU), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA), and contributions from other donors. ContactIrina Utkina, FAO News and Media (Rome), +39657052542, irina.utkina@fao.orgEilaf Abdelbasit, FAO/Sudan, +249123213203, eilaf.abdelbasit@fao.orgFAO News and Media, (+39) 06 570 53625, FAO-Newsroom@fao.org

1 of 5

Press Release

09 September 2025

IOM resumes operations in Khartoum, over 2 million return amidst Sudan war

Khartoum is now witnessing a sharp increase in returns. In the capital alone, the number of returnees is expected to reach 2.1 million this year, compared to an estimated five million who were displaced from the city at the height of the fighting.“Movement back to urban areas is accelerating, yet conditions remain volatile,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “Families are attempting to rebuild in communities already strained by years of displacement and economic hardship, stretching social support networks and local capacities to the limit.”The return trend is not limited to the capital. Between November 2024 and July 2025, nearly two million people returned across 1,611 locations in Aj Jazirah, Khartoum, Sennar, Blue Nile, White Nile, River Nile, and West Darfur. Three in four of these returnees came from locations within Sudan.Many families arrive to find homes that are damaged or uninhabitable. Electricity and clean water remain scarce. Health care is limited and the risk of cholera persists. Unexploded ordnance continues to endanger civilians in residential areas, near schools, and along access roads.IOM’s return to Khartoum will support the country through this complex recovery phase. The office will function as an inter-agency hub, enabling the UN and humanitarian partners to scale up life-saving assistance and early recovery support in urban areas where needs are most concentrated.In the first half of 2025, IOM reached more than 600,000 people in Sudan with humanitarian assistance, including access to clean water, protection services, health care, and mental health and psychosocial support. Despite these efforts, the scale of needs continues to outpace available funding.IOM will work closely with authorities and partners to ensure that communities of return have access to essential services. Support will target both returnees and residents who never left, recognizing that recovery requires rebuilding services for entire communities.Despite the returns, the conflict is far from over. Violence in Kordofan and Darfur, including the siege of El Fasher now in its second year, has brought catastrophic consequences for civilians and has created famine conditions for many unable to flee.In Darfur, reaching people in need remains extremely difficult due to insecurity, restricted access, and limited funding. These constraints hinder the ability of humanitarian organizations, including IOM, to respond at the required scale, and they increase the risk that fragile recovery gains will be lost.Sudan’s war has upended lives on an extraordinary scale. More than 14.2 million people have been displaced since the conflict escalated, with 10 million uprooted inside the country and 4.2 million across borders.To accelerate humanitarian and recovery efforts, IOM is urgently appealing for USD 29 million in flexible funding to sustain humanitarian efforts in Khartoum alone. IOM also urges all parties to facilitate safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access.Note to EditorIOM's Regional Crisis Response Plan for Sudan and neigbouring countries is critically underfunded, with only 12 per cent of the original USD 428 million appeal met. Within this, the Sudan response is just 11 per cent funded, while neighbouring countries are 14 per cent funded.For more information, please visit IOM’s Media Centre

1 of 5

Press Release

05 September 2025

“A war of atrocities:” Sudan civilians deliberately targeted, UN Fact-Finding Mission reports international crimes on large-scale

The report to the UN Human Rights Council, “A War of Atrocities,” found that both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were responsible not only for direct and large-scale attacks against civilians, but also for the extensive destruction of essential infrastructure for survival, including medical centres, markets, food and water systems, and displacement camps.The report also found that the RSF, during the siege of El Fasher and surrounding areas, committed myriad crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement and persecution on ethnic, gender and political grounds. The RSF and its allies used starvation as a method of warfare and deprived civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, medicine and relief supplies - which may amount to the crime against humanity of extermination.“Our findings leave no room for doubt: civilians are paying the highest price in this war,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “Both sides have deliberately targeted civilians through attacks, summary executions, arbitrary detention, torture, and inhuman treatment in detention facilities, including denial of food, sanitation, and medical care. These are not accidental tragedies but deliberate strategies amounting to war crimes. The RSF has further committed crimes against humanity, including large-scale killings, sexual and gender-based violence, looting, and the destruction of livelihoods—at times rising to persecution and extermination.”Civilians are being targeted based on their perceived affiliation with the other side. In El Fasher and surrounding areas, the RSF and its allies carried out large-scale killings of hundreds of civilians, intentionally directing attacks against non-Arab communities including the Zaghawa, Fur, Masalit, and Tunjur, and forcibly displacing populations. In Zamzam camp in April, between 300 and 1,500 civilians — mostly women and children — were massacred. In Gezira, the SAF and its allies targeted the Kanabi community after recapturing the town in January, killing dozens and forcing most residents to flee.Both parties failed to take sufficient measures to minimize the impact of airstrikes and artillery on civilians and civilian infrastructure. As a result, towns, villages, displacement camps, markets, hospitals and homes have been systematically destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, leaving 12.1 million people displaced and more than half the nation facing acute food insecurity. Only one in four health facilities remains functional in the worst-affected regions.Humanitarian assistance has been obstructed, convoys attacked, and aid workers targeted. Between April 2023 and April 2025, more than 84 Sudanese humanitarian workers were killed, while others were arbitrarily detained.The report found that both sides have arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured civilians because of the victims’ ethnicity, political opinion, profession or alleged collaboration with the opposing party. Detainees were frequently held without access to adequate food, sanitation or medical care. RSF detention centres were described by survivors as “slaughterhouses” where in some cases, detainees were beaten to death and summarily executed. Some were subjected to forced labour or held for ransom, with families forced to pay for their release.Sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, gang rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery was committed by RSF fighters. Women and girls from non-Arab communities, some as young as 12, were particularly targeted. SAF personnel and allied forces were also implicated in acts of sexualized torture in detention.“Behind every documented story is a shattered family, a displaced community, a survivor of unimaginable violence,” said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, an expert Member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “We have interviewed numerous civilians who have endured extreme trauma and suffered or witnessed killings, starvation, sexual violence, torture, and the destruction of essential services. The cycle of impunity has emboldened perpetrators for decades. Victims — especially women and children, who bear the greatest burden — deserve justice and reparations.”The report outlined steps necessary for accountability, emphasizing that justice and protection cannot wait until a peace agreement is reached. Sudan’s domestic institutions remain unwilling and unable genuinely to conduct credible investigations. Instead, they perpetuate selective justice, shield perpetrators through immunities and amnesties, and continue to deny survivors any real prospect of redress.“Our report not only exposes atrocities, it also lays out a roadmap for justice,” said expert Member Mona Rishmawi. “The international community must act now to enforce the arms embargo, support justice by backing the International Criminal Court, establish an independent judicial mechanism for Sudan, use universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure that those orchestrating atrocities face consequences, including targeted sanctions.”“Every day of inaction leaves the Sudanese people under attack – their lives, communities, and survival at risk,” Rishmawi said. “Accountability is not optional – it is a legal and moral imperative to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities.”The Fact-Finding Mission called on the international community to impose targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for international crimes. It also pressed for swift and coordinated action to cease hostilities, protect civilians, lift sieges, and halt ethnic targeting and sexual and gender-based violence. It urged all States, particularly those with influence on the parties, to abide by arms embargoes and refrain from providing them with material support and increase humanitarian assistance.“Sudan is living through one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and gravest hunger emergencies, with some of its population facing war crimes, persecution and extermination,” Othman said. “The international community has the tools to act. Failure to do so would not only betray the Sudanese people — it would betray the very foundations of international law.”ENDSRead the full report here, and its Annex here.Background: The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan was established by the UN Human Rights Council in October 2023 through resolution A/HRC/RES/54/2, and its mandate was extended until October 2025 with resolution A/HRC/RES/57/2. Its key task is “to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all alleged human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed against refugees, and related crimes in the context of the ongoing armed conflict that began on 15 April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as well as other warring parties.” Themembers of the Fact-Finding Mission were appointed by the President of the UN Human Rights Council; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights Office provides support to the Fact-Finding Mission, the members serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including the UN. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the mandated members.For media queries, please contact: Todd Pitman, Media Adviser for the UN Human Rights Council’s Investigative Bodies: todd.pitman@un.org / +41766911761; or Pascal Sim, Human Rights Council Media Officer: simp@un.org.

1 of 5