© UNHCR/Reason Moses Runyanga
Sudan
Sudan: Two years on
Millions of people are displaced after two years of war in Sudan. Now, a funding gap is threatening to stop life-saving aid from reaching those who need it most.
Sudan
Millions of people are displaced after two years of war in Sudan. Now, a funding gap is threatening to stop life-saving aid from reaching those who need it most.
Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023, has escalated into the world’s largest protection and displacement crisis. Nearly 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes, either within Sudan or to neighbouring countries such as Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
Violence is continuing in Darfur and elsewhere, with attacks on displacement camps putting already vulnerable families at even greater risk. Communities are facing severe hunger, with famine confirmed in Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam. Many have lost everything and are now struggling to survive without basic necessities.
The numbers tell a heartbreaking story.
As Sudan’s crisis deepens, humanitarian aid funding is under threat. Aid organisations are facing funding shortages, putting millions of refugees at risk of losing the life-saving support they urgently need.
This is devastating for the people of Sudan who are already facing famine, malnutrition and extreme violence.
“Brutal funding cuts in the humanitarian sector are putting millions of lives at risk,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “The cost of inaction will be measured in suffering, instability, and lost futures.”
These funding cuts are already affecting emergency assistance on the ground. The consequences include:
The funding crisis is having devastating effects on Sudanese refugees in Chad. Essential services are shutting down and leaving people without access to the most basic forms of support.
Without enough funding:
Chad hosts 1.3 million people who have fled their homes, including 760,000 from Sudan. Most are women and children, arriving in a country already struggling with conflict, poverty and natural disaster.
“We were shocked,” said Abdelrahim Abdelkarim, head teacher at a school in Farchana refugee camp after receiving news that funds were no longer available to pay teachers’ salaries. "Children have dropped out. Many students will take dangerous and illegal migration routes, attempting to cross the sea. Some may drown while others end up working in gold mines.”
Still, local communities are doing what they can. Parents are building makeshift classrooms and sharing their limited food rations with refugee teachers who continue to work without pay. But these efforts are not enough to meet growing needs. Without more support, the future of refugees hangs in the balance.
“I want to help people receive proper treatment, whether through surgeries or through prescribing the right medicine,” said 18-year-old Hawa Ahmed Adam, a refugee and student at a secondary school in Farchana refugee camp. “If you don’t have education, you have no idea about life.”
Despite the challenges, UNHCR is committed to providing life-saving support to Sudanese refugees and displaced families. Teams are working to:
These critical efforts are essential, but increased funding is urgently needed to continue this work.
Sudan’s ongoing conflict is displacing millions and threatening the future of countless children. Dreams of finding safety, finishing school and becoming doctors are now at risk in the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Sudanese refugees and their host communities urgently need support. People face starvation, schools are closing, and an entire generation’s hopes are at stake.