KHARTOUM: As Sudan enters the third year of its devastating civil war, international aid organizations are sounding the alarm over a deepening humanitarian crisis that has left millions in desperate need of food, healthcare, and safety.
According to UNICEF’s Representative in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, the scale of human suffering—especially in the war-torn capital Khartoum—is staggering. “Aid is beginning to reach some newly accessible areas, but it’s nowhere near enough,” Yett said in a video call with the Associated Press. “Khartoum is opening up, but the needs are overwhelming and deeply concerning.”
Once a vibrant hub, Khartoum now lies in ruins, its infrastructure decimated after two years of fierce clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has officially claimed over 20,000 lives, though experts believe the true death toll is much higher.
Despite the military’s recent reclaiming of Khartoum, the situation remains precarious. The RSF still controls major regions, particularly in Darfur, where the United Nations reported over 300 civilian deaths in just one weekend due to renewed violence.
“There’s deep fear among the people,” said Yett. “They hear that peace is returning, but they’re surrounded by destruction and unexploded ordnance. Health services are virtually nonexistent, and children are at extreme risk.”
The country’s healthcare system is in shambles, with only a few services beginning to resume in Khartoum—from what Yett describes as “a very low base.” UNICEF warns that without urgent access to health and nutritional services, children’s survival is in jeopardy.
The World Food Programme estimates that 25 million Sudanese—half the population—are facing acute hunger, while more than three million have fled to neighboring countries such as Chad and Egypt in search of safety.
With both sides of the conflict accused of war crimes and civilian suffering intensifying, humanitarian agencies are urgently calling for increased international support and a lasting political resolution to end the suffering in one of Africa’s most severe crises.
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