Sudan: 14 Million Displaced as War Enters Fourth Year Amid Escalating Hunger and Attacks on Healthcare
As Sudan's civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces approaches its third anniversary, UN agencies report that 14 million people—a quarter of the population—have been displaced, 21 million face acute food insecurity, and over 200 verified attacks on healthcare facilities have been documented. Neighboring Chad faces a $428 million funding shortfall to support 1.3 million Sudanese refugees, with essential assistance expected to be drastically scaled back.
A Crisis of Staggering Scale
As the war in Sudan nears the start of its fourth year, United Nations agencies have painted a devastating picture of one of the world's largest displacement and humanitarian crises, with 14 million people forced to flee their homes and millions more facing starvation and disease.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted on 15 April 2023, has displaced approximately a quarter of Sudan's population. According to UNHCR representative in Sudan Marie-Helene Verney, speaking from Khartoum, some 9 million remain displaced inside the country while 4.4 million have crossed borders, primarily into Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.
"Unfortunately, we are not seeing clear progress towards any resolution," Ms. Verney said, noting that fighting continues across large parts of the country, including the Kordofans, Darfur, and Blue Nile State. She highlighted "the increased use of aerial bombardments and drone attacks" targeting civilian infrastructure "with no warnings." UN News
Hunger Crisis Deepens
The displacement catastrophe is also a hunger crisis of enormous proportions. Hongjie Yang, the Food and Agriculture Organization's representative in Sudan, reported that 21 million Sudanese now face acute food insecurity, with 6.3 million in the most dire state of food emergency. Rural households in conflict areas such as Darfur and the Kordofans are under particular pressure, with food production capacities "largely destroyed," especially in the state of Khartoum. UN News
Healthcare System "Shattered"
Dr. Shible Sahbani, the World Health Organization's representative in Sudan, described the country's essential health services as "shattered." Over 40 percent of the population requires urgent health assistance, hospitals are overflowing, and disease outbreaks are widespread.
In three years of war, WHO has verified and documented more than 200 attacks on healthcare, resulting in 2,052 deaths. Health workers have been killed, injured, detained, and tortured, further eroding the country's ability to respond to mounting medical needs. Dr. Sahbani also noted that the war in the Middle East has impacted the delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudan. UN News
Sexual Violence and Human Rights Abuses
Serious human rights violations continue, including massacres, forced recruitment, and arbitrary arrests. Women and girls face particular risks of conflict-related sexual violence, which "often takes place when they are trying to run for safety," according to Ms. Verney. The UN human rights office identified over 500 victims of sexual violence in 2025 alone, while a record 11,300 civilians were killed that year, with many thousands more missing or unidentified. UN News
Refugee Funding Crisis
Neighboring Chad, which hosts some 1.3 million Sudanese refugees—over 900,000 of whom have arrived since the war began—faces a critical funding shortfall. According to UNHCR and the World Food Programme, "essential assistance to the refugees will be drastically scaled back even further in the coming months" unless a $428 million gap is filled. Nearly 15,000 new arrivals have been recorded since the start of the year. UN News
A Forgotten Crisis
Despite the staggering scale of suffering, the Sudan crisis has received comparatively little international attention. With no clear path toward resolution and humanitarian needs far outpacing available funding, millions of Sudanese face an increasingly uncertain future as the war grinds into its fourth year.
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More in War & Conflict
Sudan is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis as 14 million people, a quarter of its population, have been displaced due to ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. Millions face acute food insecurity, with 21 million at risk of hunger, while health services are shattered by attacks on facilities and personnel. The crisis, now in its fourth year, shows no sign of resolution amid continued violence and human rights abuses.
13 Apr 2026
As Sudan's civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces marks its third anniversary, UN agencies report 14 million people have been displaced — making it the world's largest displacement crisis. With 21 million facing acute food insecurity, over 200 verified attacks on healthcare facilities, and continued airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, UN officials say there is no clear progress toward resolution.
11 Apr 2026