Sudan’s civil war has created the largest displacement crisis in recent history
Since April 2023, a brutal power struggle between Sudan’s military and a powerful paramilitary group has devastated the nation. With over 14 million people displaced and famine spreading, the conflict has evolved from a political dispute into a humanitarian catastrophe, drawing in foreign powers and threatening the country's future.
The conflict erupted on 15 April 2023, following a breakdown in negotiations over the integration of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). This tension was rooted in the aftermath of the 2021 coup, where SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander General Hemedti seized power together before turning on one another. The RSF, which originated from the Janjaweed militias of the Darfur conflict, had grown into a formidable force under al-Bashir’s regime, designed to 'coup-proof' his rule. By 2023, the two factions were locked in a struggle for control over the state, with the RSF initially seizing key sites in Khartoum.
As the war progressed, the humanitarian toll became staggering. By July 2026, over 14 million people had been forcibly displaced, with 4.5 million fleeing abroad. The situation in Darfur has been particularly dire; the city of El Fasher, a final SAF stronghold, fell to the RSF in October 2025. Experts have described the subsequent violence as a genocidal massacre, with death toll estimates reaching as high as 150,000. Across the country, 25 million people suffer from severe food insecurity, and famine has been confirmed in multiple regions, exacerbated by the looting of aid and the collapse of essential infrastructure.
The war has also become a proxy battleground, with foreign powers including Russia, the UAE, and Egypt exerting influence. The UAE has been accused of violating international sanctions by supplying weaponry to the RSF, which funds its operations through gold exports. Despite various international efforts, such as the 2023 Jeddah Declaration, no lasting ceasefire has been achieved. On 7 January 2025, the United States formally determined that the RSF and its allies committed acts of genocide, highlighting the gravity of the crisis that continues to leave half of Sudan’s population in urgent need of assistance.
