Crisis in Sudan: How to help

Over the last 20 years, Sudan has experienced protracted conflict and political unrest, including violence in Darfur dating back to 2003.

More recently, months of civilian protests in 2019 led to a change in leadership, a first in over 25 years, prompting hope for millions.

However, the transitional government’s progress slowed, leaving room for uncertainty, violence, and, eventually, a military coup in October 2021. Since then, tensions between the country’s two governing forces escalated over time, erupting into open conflict on April 15, 2023.

Learn more about the crisis in Sudan.

Half of the population of Sudan — 24.6 million people — are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above).

This includes over 637,000 people currently facing confirmed famine and famine-like conditions conditions (IPC Phase 5).

Additionally, 3.7 million children and women require treatment for acute malnutrition.

Learn more about the hunger crisis in Sudan.

As of May 2025, an estimated 12 million people have been displaced, with nearly 4 million Sudanese crossing borders into neighboring countries. The majority of displaced (both internally and as refugees) are women and children.

Displacement creates a large portion of the humanitarian need in these situations. Millions of Sudanese escaped violence without much more than the clothes on their backs, and arrived in host communities with little cash and limited resources available to them.

In areas affected by conflict, 70% of the healthcare system has stopped functioning. Taken together with poor living conditions, few hygiene resources, and a lack of adequate sanitation services, this has led to significant outbreaks of disease across the country.

Cholera was reported in Red Sea State, along with high levels of malaria throughout the 2024 rainy season (August to October).