More than 30 million people now need urgent humanitarian assistance, including 9.6 million displaced from their homes and nearly 15 million children trapped in a daily struggle for survival.
“This is One of the worst protection crises we have seen in decades.”said Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The agency, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) have issued a joint humanitarian call to action, calling for immediate international attention to address “the immense suffering and growing dangers” facing millions of people across Sudan.
return to the rubble
As fighting subsides in the capital Khartoum and other parts of Sudan, Nearly 2.6 million people are returning to their damaged homes.many of them without access to water, health care or education.
“I met people returning to a city still scarred by conflict, where houses are damaged and basic services are barely functioning. Their determination to rebuild is remarkable, but life remains incredibly fragile,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General of Operations.
To make matters worse, according to the IOM, the spread of diseases such as cholera, dengue and malaria, combined with rising rates of malnutrition, is putting thousands of people at imminent risk of death without immediate assistance.
More than 260,000 civilians besieged
Meanwhile, more than 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, remain trapped under siege in El Fasher, northern Darfur, in what UN agencies have described as a “deeply worrying” situation.
For more than 16 months, families have been deprived of food, water and medical care. As health systems collapse, reports of murders, sexual violence, and forced recruitment into armed militias continue to rise.
“Entire communities survive in conditions that defy dignity”warned Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of UNICEF.
“Children are malnourished, exposed to violence and at risk of dying from preventable diseases. Families are doing everything they can to survive, showing extraordinary determination in the face of unimaginable difficulties,” he added.
Young people celebrate the liberation of a Khartoum neighborhood in April 2025. (archive)
Challenges ahead
So far, the humanitarian response in Sudan has reached more than 13.5 million this year.
Despite this, funding shortfalls make it increasingly difficult for the United Nations and its partners to deliver adequate aid.
The 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan, which totals $4.2 billion, remains underfunded at just 25 percent.
IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP remain committed to working together to provide vital support and protection to children and families across Sudan.
“The humanitarian community is ready to respond, but cannot do it alone; urgent global support is needed to save lives and help communities rebuild,” the humanitarian agencies stressed.