UN: Sudan now faces world’s largest displacement crisis

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has declared that Sudan is experiencing the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 12 million people forced to flee their homes since the conflict erupted in April 2023.

The agency said that thousands of families continue to escape fighting in El Fasher and across the Darfur region, where clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified in recent weeks.

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), warned that “millions of Sudanese are in desperate need of assistance,” noting that civilians and aid workers are being killed with impunity and that sexual violence is widespread. He urged for safe humanitarian access and stronger protection for local organizations operating on the ground.

Sean Hughes, the World Food Programme’s emergency coordinator for Sudan, described the situation as “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis by any measure.” He said around 25 million people—half of Sudan’s population—are facing severe hunger, while nearly five million children and mothers suffer from acute malnutrition.