Sudan faces growing humanitarian crisis as funding dwindles

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating as funding for aid agencies dries up, leaving millions of people displaced by war without access to essential supplies. An estimated 15.4 million people across Sudan urgently need shelter, but aid agencies can only assist about one in ten of those in need due to funding shortfalls. The crisis has been exacerbated by a war that erupted in April 2023 between former allies turned rival military forces, which continues to deepen the suffering of civilians.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have warned that their supplies are running out, with IOM's Chief of Mission in Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, stating that their warehouses are completely empty. The agencies have distributed over 40,000 tonnes of relief assistance this year, but the lack of funding has severely impacted their ability to provide aid to those in need. As a result, many families are being forced to go without essential items such as shelter, lamps, and kitchen sets.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has been compounded by El Niño-related weather conditions, which have brought significantly below-average rainfall across the country, hitting harvests in Darfur, Kordofan, and other areas already devastated by fighting. Food prices remain "painfully high", forcing families to make impossible trade-offs between spending on food and other essential items. The situation is expected to worsen with the coming winter months, with emergency stocks critically low and a harsh winter ahead.

The human cost of the crisis is being felt deeply by women and children, who make up three in four of Sudan's internally displaced people. A tent, a solar lamp, and a kitchen set are not just basic necessities, but also essential for dignity, safety, and protection. Abubakarr Jalloh, UNHCR's Deputy Representative in Sudan, emphasized that these items are not luxuries, but rather the thin line between survival and vulnerability to violence and exploitation.

Despite some improvements in access to vulnerable displaced and returning people, the crisis is now measured in trucks and tonnes, with aid agencies struggling to deliver aid to those in need. The paradox of access is that while conditions for delivering aid have improved, the supplies to reach those in need have run out. This has resulted in a crisis that the world can no longer claim not to see, with humanitarians appealing for urgent international help.

The consequences of the crisis are not confined to Sudan's borders, with Sudanese nationals now the largest nationality arriving in Europe along the so-called Eastern Mediterranean route. If aid is not provided in Sudan at scale, neighbouring countries will be impacted, and other countries will be affected. Investing in aid inside Sudan is not only a humanitarian act, but also a regional stability measure.

The funding gap for Sudan's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan remains severe, with only 47 per cent of the required $2.9 billion received. The plan itself was never ambitious, designed to reach only 20.4 million of the 33.7 million people in need. With the shortfall, agencies have been forced to cut essential services further, leaving many families without access to vital aid.

Key points

• Aid agencies warn of worsening conditions for millions displaced by war in Sudan.
• Funding shortfalls have severely impacted the ability of aid agencies to provide essential supplies.
• The crisis has been exacerbated by El Niño-related weather conditions and a harsh winter ahead.