Turning a blind eye to this crisis would not only be a profound political and moral failure, but a failure of our core humanity. Without immediate injection of funds, millions of people will simply die of starvation or disease.
As Sudan’s conflict enters its third year, massive displacement and fighting are spilling over into neighbouring countries, worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The upcoming rainy season, combined with aid cuts by the US and other key donors, will severely hamper humanitarian efforts putting millions of lives at risk. This is according to a new Oxfam report.
Sudan’s brutal conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. For the first time in the history of modern humanitarian response, a single country – Sudan – has reached over 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
More than 12.7 million people - nearly one-third of the population - have been forced to flee their homes.
This includes 3.7 million to neighbouring countries.
Sudan currently accounts for one in eight internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide and one in 13 refugees globally, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.
One in two Sudanese people are hungry.
Five areas in the country are already experiencing famine, and nearly eight million more people are at risk of starvation.
The upcoming rains could turn roads to mud, and trigger the collapse of vital bridges, cutting off people from essential aid and services.
The impact in neighbouring countries
Two of the host countries, South Sudan and Chad, are already among the world’s poorest countries.
In South Sudan, the number of people needing assistance has more than doubled over the past decade - from 4.1 million in 2015 to 9 million in 2025.
In Chad, one in three people - about 7 million people - need assistance in 2025.
“We are already witnessing clashes between armed groups from South Sudan and Sudan. This volatile situation is simmering like a volcano ready to erupt any minute. Unless the fighting stops and the humanitarian crisis is addressed, the situation could quickly turn into a full-blown regional catastrophe.”
— Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director
Nadia's story
35-year-old Nadia Zahad, a refugee from the Sudan war, recounts how she lost her entire family to the conflict. Now displaced in South Sudan, she is focused on rebuilding her life with her son, Ismail.
Nadia and her five-year-old son, Ismail fled fighting and are now sheltering in Renk, South Sudan, after soldiers killed her husband and two children.
“The war took everything. We left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Here, we are safe from bullets, but there is no food, we are dying of hunger.” Nadia.
Oxfam's Report
The Oxfam report, ‘The Unraveling of the World’s Largest Humanitarian Disaster: From the Sahel to the Red Sea’ is published jointly with humanitarian organisations responding to the Sudan crisis. It highlights the staggering human cost of the Sudan conflict.
The report also found that 17 million children in Sudan are out of school, while 65% of refugee children in Chad lack access to education. This increases risks of child labour, marriage, trafficking and recruitment by armed groups.
Despite the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis, international support is falling severely short. Only 10% of this year’s UN appeal for Sudan has been met to date. The recent suspension of approximately $64 million USAID funding for Chad and South Sudan in 2025 has also dealt a severe blow to lifesaving efforts. In 2024, the US was the largest donor to both countries.
The report urges all warring parties to halt fighting and prioritise diplomacy, in order to forge an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
The unraveling of the world’s largest humanitarian disaster from the Sahel to the Red Sea
What is happening in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)?
There has been an outbreak of renewed fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the crisis is escalating quickly. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. Millions of people have already had to flee multiple times due to the conflict.
“We are already witnessing clashes between armed groups from South Sudan and Sudan. This volatile situation is simmering like a volcano ready to erupt any minute. Unless the fighting stops and the humanitarian crisis is addressed, the situation could quickly turn into a full-blown regional catastrophe.”
