Sudan has been engulfed in civil war since fighting erupted on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence has worsened an already existing direhumanitarian situation in the nation. Before the conflict broke out, Sudan was already experiencing a humanitarian crisis with more than 15 million people facing severe food insecurity and more than 3.7 million internally displaced persons. Additionally, the country was also hosting 1.3 million refugees mostly from South Sudan.
The conflict has left more than 12,000 people dead and displaced more than 6 million people within and outside Sudan. The conflict has also led to the massive destruction of Sudan’s infrastructure especially in and around Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan. Air strikes and shelling have hit hospitals, prisons, schools, and other facilities in densely populatedresidential areas. Millions of people lack access to clean water, and rising food and fuel costs are exacerbating food insecurity. The United Nations estimates that more than half of Sudan's population needs aid and protection.
A Ceasefire agreement between the warring parties is the only hope for the Sudanese people as this would open safe humanitarian corridors and allow international organizations to enter and distribute relief/aid and also allow millions of displaced people to return home. It is however unfortunate that Sudan’s warring factions are failing to agree on a ceasefire that could help delivery of aid and stop the mounting death toll in the country.