As the war in Sudan approaches its grim third anniversary in April 2026, the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in its wake has become the largest in the world — eclipsing conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Gaza in terms of the scale of displacement and the severity of hunger. The United Nations and its partner organisations have issued their most urgent appeals yet, warning that the situation is deteriorating faster than the international community can respond.
Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, delivered a stark assessment from the ground: “Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The conflict has ravaged livelihoods, uprooted communities, and driven millions of people into hunger. Famine still stalks parts of this country. Aid workers, trucks and warehouses continue to come under attack, putting the lives of our colleagues at risk and disrupting our assistance.”
For the millions of Sudanese who have survived the conflict, WFP remains their only lifeline. Skau noted that every month the organisation reaches around four million people with food and nutrition support — a figure that, while significant, represents only a fraction of those in need.
A Conflict Now Approaching Three Years
The war erupted in April 2023 when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces, loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. What began as a power struggle between two military factions has evolved into a broader conflict consuming much of the country, from the capital Khartoum to the western region of Darfur and the eastern state of Gedaref.
Multiple attempts at ceasefire negotiations — brokered by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the African Union — have collapsed without agreement. The conflict has settled into a grinding war of attrition that shows no sign of resolution.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The UN’s figures make for harrowing reading. More than eleven million people have been forced from their homes since the conflict began, creating what is described as the world’s largest displacement crisis. Many have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, overwhelming host communities and straining already dramatically underfunded aid operations.
The UN launched a $2.9 billion appeal for Sudan in 2026 — the largest single-country humanitarian appeal ever made. As of mid-April 2026, the appeal was only 16 percent funded. Famine has been formally declared in parts of the country, and UN officials warn that without sustained humanitarian access and adequate funding, the hunger season ahead could push millions more into catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Aid Workers Under Fire
Perhaps most disturbing is the pattern of attacks on aid workers and humanitarian infrastructure. WFP has been forced to suspend operations in areas where staff have come under direct threat, leaving populations entirely dependent on whatever support can reach them through irregular channels. The targeting of humanitarian workers is a violation of international humanitarian law and a deliberate strategy by parties to the conflict.
A Crisis the World Is Choosing to Ignore
UN officials are candid about their frustration: while global attention has been consumed by the war in the Middle East, the catastrophe in Sudan has grown steadily worse with far less international engagement or resources directed toward it. This discrepancy in media coverage and policy attention has real-world consequences for Sudanese civilians, who find themselves caught in a conflict that the world seems increasingly willing to overlook.
The WFP’s warning is unambiguous: for millions of Sudanese, the organisation’s assistance is the only thing standing between survival and starvation. Without a dramatic increase in funding and a meaningful improvement in humanitarian access, the coming months will see the crisis deepen further, and the death toll — already estimated in the tens of thousands — will continue to climb.