The humanitarian crisis in Sudan that worries international organizations

Population displacement, famine, gender-based violence and children’s rights at risk amid a relentless civil war. Despite international agreements, attacks and bombings keep millions of people in suspense.

Despite the recent call for a ceasefire, the humanitarian crisis and violence in Sudan show no sign of reaching a turning point. In the country, which has been the scene of a bloody civil war for years following the 2021 coup d’état, the human, civil, economic and social consequences for the population have been disastrous. Famine, malnutrition and social violence, combined with climate change and epidemics, among other factors, are some of the elements international organizations have been warning about. Meanwhile, the people of Sudan remain captive to a crisis for which international diplomatic debates have found no satisfactory response.

Indeed, expectations had been placed on the recent call for peace accepted by representatives of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in an agreement brokered by a group made up of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Despite the support for this incipient agreement, concerns have resurfaced in the face of a gradual increase in bombing attacks, aerial clashes and other actions.

Regions such as El Fasher and Kadugli have stood out as the scenes of the greatest violence and brutality in the conflict between the RSF paramilitary group and the Sudanese Armed Forces. According to warnings from United Nations (UN) official Jean Pierre Lacroix, several factors have jeopardized the progress of the peace agreement. Among them is the removal of political figures from the current transitional government, including the detention of opposition official Riek Machar. This, according to the international body, has deepened political polarization and a social fracture that was already deteriorated beforehand.

As a consequence of the war, population movements have also become a cause for concern in Sudan. The International Organization for Migration warned this month that, in just two weeks, more than 90,000 people had been forced to flee in search of refuge, resorting to unsafe journeys and routes through high-risk areas, without access to services or food. Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2023, the displaced population of the North Darfur area is estimated to number in the millions.  

Organizations such as Amnesty International (AI) have denounced the ongoing violations of international law in the context of the conflict. According to figures compiled by the organization, between 2023 and 2024 around 27,000 deaths and more than 30,000 injuries were recorded, mostly among civilians. It also denounced RSF attacks on civilian populations in their homes and in the streets as reprisals. In October 2024, more than 100 civilian deaths and some 25 cases of sexual violence against women were reported.

Hunger, displacement and gender-based violence in Sudan

The aforementioned cities of El Fasher, in Darfur, and Kadugli are the hardest hit by problems such as hunger and malnutrition. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), both cities have been declared to be in a state of famine, based on assessments published by the UN in early November. The localities most affected by the armed conflict have been left isolated and cut off from food services, and medical care has also become inaccessible. 

This has been one of the central problems in the context of population displacement. According to Amnesty International, an estimated 11 million people have been displaced because of the conflict in Sudan, from 2023 to the present. 

Meanwhile, much of the population displacement has also highlighted the situation of women who are victims of gender-based violence in the context of war. This is a problem that international organizations have denounced on several occasions, as humanitarian crises fuel gender-based violence. UN Women representative Anna Mutavati noted that pregnant women in Sudan have given birth “in the street” because of attacks on health facilities. In addition, multiple cases of rape have been denounced by the United Nations. In 2008, the international body recognized that sexual violence in the context of war can constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

The situation of children

In addition to women, children emerge as one of the most affected social groups. According to data released by UNICEF, even before the conflict an estimated 7 million children in the country were out of the education system. With the ongoing crisis, more than 18 million are estimated to be out of school. The international children’s agency also warned of the danger of children being recruited as militiamen by Sudanese shock forces. 

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia