Sudan Enters Third Year of Conflict Amid Mass Displacement, Rising Hunger and Aid Cuts
As Sudan reaches the two-year mark of relentless conflict on April 15, the country is spiraling into one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Nearly 30 million people—two-thirds of the population—need humanitarian assistance. Over 25 million face crisis-level hunger, and more than 600,000 are projected to face famine conditions by mid-2025. Sudan cannot afford another year of inaction, yet donors are decreasing support as humanitarian needs are at their highest.
The CEOs of five leading humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan issued this joint statement.
Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna says:
"Two years of grinding conflict have pushed families in Sudan to the brink: they are exhausted, starving and running out of options. Children are dying daily from malnutrition. Parents face impossible choices just to keep their children alive – one father trying to sell his three children at the market, hoping someone who could feed them would take them in. People who have survived against all odds over the past two years are now at their breaking point. Half of Sudan's population is going hungry. Millions are already enduring severe, famine-like conditions.
"In the face of this urgent suffering, the world has looked away. Funding is a fraction of what's urgently needed. Donors have provided just six percent of the $4.1 billion required to meet the needs of 20.9 million people. Funding is shrinking while needs are spiraling. Local responders are forced to shut down communal kitchens and life-saving services because they simply have no resources left.
"Sudan cannot afford continued inaction. Urgent support is needed to save lives. Without immediate, large-scale support to deliver food, water, and medical care, millions may starve. The people of Sudan are not statistics. They are mothers, fathers, and children pleading to be seen, heard, and helped before it's too late."
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
- Grace Wairima Ndungu, Senior Africa Media & Communications Manager, in Nairobi, at gndungu@mercycorps.org
- Natalie Fath, Director of Communications (based on the East Coast, U.S.), at nfath@mercycorps.org.
- Our full media team is reachable at allmediarelations@mercycorps.org.