Today, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA) join the international community in marking the third year of war in Sudan, a year shaped by global apathy and the alarming normalization of human suffering. This conflict has resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis, which has disproportionally impacted children. Millions of people have been torn from their homes, their schools, and their communities. Yet, in the face of such staggering devastation, Sudan has been met with deafening silence and collective inaction from the global community. This must change.
Since the war began on April 15, 2023, approximately 14 million people have been forcibly displaced. Nearly 9 million people remain displaced inside Sudan, and 4.5 million others have crossed borders in search of safety. These figures are so enormous they defy comprehension. But these are not statistics. They are parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. Each person carries memories, relationships, and futures that have been abruptly and violently shattered.
Displacement on this scale has placed immense strain on already fragile systems of support. In 2026, over 33 million people require humanitarian assistance in Sudan, the highest number in the world. This includes 17.3 million children. Reports indicate that millions living in conflict-affected areas of the country survive on one meal a day or less, while famine has already been confirmed in parts of Sudan, and more than 61 percent of the population faces acute food insecurity.
As violence continues unabated, the protection crisis intensifies. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and thousands more remain missing. Warring parties have committed egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including indiscriminate air and drone strikes on civilian areas, targeted killings, torture, and the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Concurrently, catastrophic funding cuts by the U.S. Government and other donor nations are stripping millions of dollars per month from protection services and lifesaving health and nutrition programs in Sudan.
For decades, Sudan has been a place of refuge for those fleeing conflict and instability across the region. Sudan has long opened its borders to people in desperate need of safety, even amid economic strain and political uncertainty. Sudan continues to host over 862,000 refugees from countries like South Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. That legacy makes the current crisis all the more stark. A nation that has long served as a lifeline for others now stands in urgent need of protection, solidarity, and global attention.
Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum are among the areas hardest hit by the ongoing war. This has led to the establishment of the Taweelah IDP camp—now one of the largest in the region—sheltering over half a million people who have fled escalating violence in El Fasher and surrounding parts of Darfur. The ongoing war, coupled with economic collapse, rapidly rising inflation, and the impacts of climate change, has significantly exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Across Sudan and in neighboring countries, communities have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. Local responders, volunteers, and displaced people themselves continue to support one another, even as resources dwindle and humanitarian needs reach critical levels. However, local and national actors cannot and should not bear this alone.
Three years of war and the cost of inaction is measured in lives lost, futures stolen, and generations at risk. This is not only a moment to reflect, but an urgent call to action. USCRI and ARAHA urge the international community, donors, and partners to move beyond rhetoric and take immediate and sustained action to support those affected by the war in Sudan.
This means increasing flexible and long-term funding that matches the scale of needs; ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected areas; and centering the voices, agency, and leadership of displaced communities in all response efforts. It also requires renewed diplomatic engagement to push for the protection of civilians and a meaningful path towards peace.
USCRI, founded in 1911, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit international organization committed to working on behalf of refugees and immigrants and their transition to a dignified life.
ARAHA, founded in 2000, is a nonprofit organization that strives to alleviate suffering and build self-reliant communities in the Horn of Africa.
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