The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has appealed for increased international assistance to Sudan, warning that shrinking humanitarian funding is threatening efforts to help millions of people affected by more than three years of conflict.
Speaking in Geneva after returning from Sudan, IFRC Special Envoy Derk Segaar described the country as one of the world’s largest yet most neglected humanitarian crises. He said humanitarian needs continue to grow while financial support remains far below what is required.
Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), the conflict has claimed at least 59,000 lives, although humanitarian organisations believe the actual death toll is significantly higher.
Segaar said the war has devastated communities across the country, including the capital, Khartoum, where millions of residents continue to face severe shortages of electricity, clean water and healthcare services. He added that outbreaks of cholera, widespread malnutrition and seasonal flooding have further worsened living conditions.
The IFRC estimates that around 35 million people now require humanitarian assistance. More than nine million people have been displaced within Sudan, while approximately 4.5 million have fled the country as refugees.
Although humanitarian aid is gradually reaching parts of the Kordofan and Darfur regions, relief agencies say access remains limited in many areas due to ongoing insecurity and logistical challenges.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues to intensify. Sudanese Army Lieutenant-General Yasser al-Atta said the military is advancing on multiple fronts and aims to eliminate the RSF before the end of the year.
Addressing troops, al-Atta stated that the army’s strategy involves simultaneous offensives across different battlefronts, similar to operations that led to the recapture of Khartoum State. He declared that the military was determined to defeat the RSF and remove all foreign fighters supporting the group.
His remarks followed recent military gains in North Kordofan, where government forces and allied fighters captured several strategic locations, including Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Um Sayala, along a key route linking Omdurman to El-Obeid.
The three Kordofan states North, South and West Kordofan have experienced sustained fighting since October 2025, adding to the humanitarian challenges facing the region. On the diplomatic front, the United Nations is stepping up efforts to revive Sudan’s stalled political process.
Representatives from the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the European Union, the League of Arab States and other international organisations have held consultations with Sudanese civilian political leaders aimed at identifying confidence-building measures and pathways toward a political settlement.
The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, is also engaging with RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in an effort to reduce tensions and encourage dialogue.
Humanitarian organisations continue to urge the international community to increase financial and logistical support, warning that without sustained assistance, millions of vulnerable Sudanese could face even greater hardship as the conflict drags on.
