By Sama Marwan,
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 8 (IPS) – Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is deepening as the civil war continues to wreak havoc across the country. Armed conflict has led to a sharp rise in civilian casualties and internal displacement in recent months. Additionally, famine looms in the most war-affected areas, exacerbated by strict restrictions that hinder humanitarian aid deliveries. Despite repeated calls from the international community to cease hostilities, relief efforts remain critically underfunded.
Humanitarian Efforts in 2025
Humanitarian organizations aim to assist around 21 million people in Sudan throughout 2025, nearly half of the country’s population. However, this number is expected to rise as armed conflicts continue to escalate, particularly after a surge in violence recorded in December 2024.
A report from the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) revealed that clashes in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, resulted in 782 deaths and 1,143 injuries between May and December 2024.
Deterioration in Displacement Camps
Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted that the Zamzam refugee camp, Sudan’s largest for internally displaced persons, suffered heavy shelling in late 2024. The attack killed 80 people and injured 400 others in western Darfur.
Civilians and aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), have accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out these attacks.
Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, described the situation in Zamzam camp as a “kill box,” with Sudanese refugees forced to flee into dangerous RSF-controlled areas or desolate deserts where they risk starvation. “We can see from space people camping under trees and on roadsides. They’re escaping the fire of war only to end up in a furnace of famine,” said Raymond.
Warnings of Famine Spread
On January 6, 2025, the UN Security Council warned that famine conditions are likely to spread across Sudan unless humanitarian organizations intervene effectively. According to Wosornu, famine has already been confirmed in five areas, including Zamzam, Al Salam, and Abu Shouk camps, and regions in western Nuba Mountains.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) stated that five additional regions, including Um Kadada and El Fasher, along with 17 other high-risk areas, could face famine-like conditions by mid-2025. Women, children, and the elderly are expected to be the most affected.
Causes of the Crisis and the Need for Immediate Action
Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), emphasized that the scale of the famine is a direct consequence of prolonged conflict, displacement, and restricted humanitarian access. The IPC report stressed that “only an immediate cessation of hostilities can prevent further deterioration of the crisis.”
Bechdol underlined the importance of allowing humanitarian organizations unrestricted access to critically affected areas. She pointed to the Adre border crossing, which connects Chad to Sudan’s hardest-hit regions, but has seen significant delays and blockages in aid delivery. “Key areas in South Kordofan are completely cut off from external assistance,” Wosornu warned, “and humanitarian visas are not being granted fast enough.”
2025 Humanitarian Response Plan
The 2025 Humanitarian Needs Response Plan seeks to raise $4.2 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 21 million Sudanese facing dire living conditions. The plan aims to restore basic services such as access to food, water, shelter, and protection services.
“The risk of famine and its spread has been on our collective conscience since August. Now, it’s here—not just with people dying from hunger but also with a complete collapse of health systems, livelihoods, and social structures,” Bechdol warned.
Humanitarian organizations are calling for urgent intervention to ensure aid reaches affected areas and prevent further deterioration of the crisis in Sudan. The UN stresses the need for “immediate and unrestricted” humanitarian access to deliver critical assistance and save millions of lives at risk.
