Since the escalation of conflict on April 15, 2023, Sudan has faced “one of the fastest unfolding crises globally, with unprecedented needs emerging in such a short period,” as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 8.6 million people, with nearly 4 million children uprooted, triggering the largest child displacement crisis globally.
As violence escalates and displacement spreads throughout Sudan and into other countries, the hunger crisis in the region has reached alarming levels. Even before the surge in hostilities, approximately one-third of Sudan’s population struggled with daily hunger. The ongoing conflict has now placed every second person in need of humanitarian assistance.
Sudan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
- Fast facts: Sudan crisis
- What is the current situation in Sudan?
- How has the conflict impacted the Sudanese people?
- How has the conflict impacted children in Sudan?
- How many people has World Vision supported in the crisis in Sudan?
- Where has World Vision worked in Sudan, and for how long?
- How can I help children and families affected by the crisis in Sudan?
Fast facts: Sudan crisis
- Mass displacement: As of April 15, 2024, over 8.6 million people (more than 15% of Sudan’s population) are displaced within the nation or seeking refuge in other countries.
- Acute food insecurity: Conflict, violence, and economic decline have pushed 17.7 million people, or 37% of Sudan’s population, into acute food insecurity, with 4.9 million at the “emergency” level and 12.8 million at the “crisis” level.
- Severe hunger conditions: Ongoing fighting continues to hamper humanitarian efforts in the delivery of food assistance, leading to severe hunger conditions, especially in conflict zones like Khartoum and other regions.
- Health emergency: Disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever, are rising due to the disrupted health services.
- Education loss: With most schools closed or struggling to reopen, 19 million school-aged children face the risk of losing their education, jeopardizing the future prospects for Sudan and beyond.
- Humanitarian response: World Vision has supported more than 1.5 million people, mostly women and children. Our emergency assistance programs focus on food security; child protection; health and nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and more.
“Four million children have been displaced. That’s 13,000 children every single day, for 300 days. Safety, gone. Worldly possessions, gone. Friends and family members separated or lost. Hope, fading.” —U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder
What is the current situation in Sudan?
Sudan’s armed conflict has ignited one of the world’s fastest-unfolding crises. Out of 25 million people needing humanitarian aid, 14 million are children. The conflict has forced 8.6 million people to flee, creating the largest displacement crisis globally.
Within Sudan, over 6.6 million people are internally displaced, seeking shelter in over 6,700 locations. A majority of the 1.8 million who have fled the country have sought refuge in neighboring nations like the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan as of April 14, 2024.
Economic decline and conflict have left 17.7 million people (approximately 37% of Sudan’s population) in acute food insecurity, with 4.9 million at emergency levels. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns of a severe food crisis and urges immediate action. Ongoing fighting, restricted humanitarian access, and escalating food insecurity put the people of Sudan at risk of catastrophic hunger, especially in key crop regions, worsening the situation.
How has the conflict impacted the Sudanese people?
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has devastating effects on its people, with OCHA reporting that every other person in Sudan requires humanitarian aid. Millions of people have been displaced and face immense uncertainty. Even before the conflict, many people faced hunger daily as a result of climate shocks, rising food prices, and political unrest.
The ongoing conflict has intensified pre-existing challenges, including:
- Acute shortages of food, water, medicines, and fuel, with prices of essential items and transportation sharply increasing.
- Limited or no access to healthcare services. Armed hostilities have affected 70% of facilities in conflict zones, rendering them non-operational, and the remaining facilities are stretched beyond capacity.
- Forced displacement in various states, including Khartoum, Northern, Blue Nile, North Kordofan, North Darfur, West Darfur, and South Darfur. Many from these areas have fled to the neighboring countries of the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan.
- Sexual and gender-based violence. U.N. Women has called on all parties to ensure that women and girls are protected from these crimes.
- Fear and insecurity. Armed combatants have been occupying homes and reportedly some hospitals and schools, attacking water and electrical infrastructure.
Gamal, a communicator from World Vision in Sudan, shared his experience in a May 2023 interview, highlighting the harsh realities faced by his family and others. “Every day we are under fire. Planes bomb the area where I live with my family. We are seeing people moving from other areas of Khartoum into the houses of relatives. And here people are moving away to live with relatives in other states. We don’t know where the shooting will come from, and all types of weapons are being used,” said Gamal.
Read Gamal’s report from Sudan on Christianity Today’s The Better Samaritan blog.
How has the conflict impacted children in Sudan?
The conflict in Sudan has triggered the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with over 14 million children urgently needing life-saving assistance. Children bear the brunt of the devastating crisis, as ongoing violence threatens their lives and future prospects.
Even before the conflict, Sudan had one of the highest malnutrition rates among children worldwide. According to UNICEF, approximately 3.5 million children in Sudan are expected to experience acute malnutrition this year. For nearly 700,000 of these children, the condition could become life-threatening.
World Vision joined other humanitarian agencies on April 26, 2023, calling for all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, particularly children.
How many people has World Vision supported in the crisis in Sudan?
World Vision is one of the largest humanitarian aid organizations active in Sudan, having worked there for a total of over 25 years. Since October 2022, we have reached more than 1.5 million people, the majority of them women and children, with life-saving aid, including food; access to clean water; and child protection, health and nutrition, and sanitation and hygiene programs.
In Sudan, we’re actively adjusting our strategies to respond effectively and immediately, aiming to reach the most vulnerable people. One of the key priorities for World Vision and our humanitarian partners is to ensure the safe delivery of medical and other essential supplies to Khartoum state, where humanitarian access is difficult due to fighting, airstrikes, and shelling.
Despite widespread security challenges, World Vision remains committed to serving the most vulnerable communities affected by the conflict. Our responses in other countries* include:
Support for refugees, returnees, and asylum seekers in Ethiopia, where we reached 22,620 people, including 9,790 children, with a range of programs that focus on child protection, health, and nutrition. We reached over 11,130 people through our protection interventions, including Child-Friendly Spaces.
In Chad, as of February 16, 2024, we assisted over 257,600 people. Of those, 104,900 people have received food and cash assistance. Humanitarian needs are still increasing due to food insecurity and rising malnutrition. We’re responding with life-saving aid and working to expand our programming to support refugees, returnees, and host communities.
In South Sudan, World Vision has reached more than 214,000 people through our programs in health and nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and food and cash assistance.
In the Central African Republic, we’ve supported 18,000 refugees, including 9,443 children, through our child protection and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. Our plans include reaching 4,000 people with clean water through 8 borehole wells, distributing 12,000 mosquito nets, and equipping 2,000 households hosting refugees with latrines, hygiene kits, and access to Child-Friendly Spaces.
*Response numbers as of mid-February 2024.
Where has World Vision worked in Sudan, and for how long?
Headquartered in Khartoum, our 308-member local team works with volunteers and partners primarily in four states: South Darfur, Blue Nile, East Darfur, and South Kordofan. We’ve served children and families in Sudan from 1983 to 1988 and from 2004 onwards, initially responding in Darfur.
