Sudan’s darkest hour

“This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed. 

“We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive. Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet. We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan. 

“Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives.  

“I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.” 

Notes to editors: 

• B-roll and photos from Sudan and the region are available for free use here. 
• An estimated 11.5 million people have been uprooted within Sudan, and 3.5 million forced to flee into neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya and Uganda (UN OCHA, IOM).
• Around 25 million people—half the population of Sudan—are in acute need of food, including 1.5 million on the edge of famine.
• NRC has supported over 1 million people across all states of Sudan last year, directly and through partners and local responders. This is double the amount reached in 2023.
• NRC has over 43 national partners, and we support local responder groups across the country.
• In 2024, when the humanitarian community in Sudan needed $2.7 billion to address the most urgent needs of 14.7 million people, $1.8 billion was received, of which the United States contributed close to half ($805.7 million). An estimated 4.4 million people across Sudan received some form of humanitarian assistance thanks to US funding in 2024 (OCHA).
• In 2025, humanitarian actors are seeking $4.16 billion to reach 20.9 million people in Sudan. As of 7 April, only 9.9 percent of this had been funded.
• The Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2025 requires $1.18 billion to cover the assistance for 5 million refugees, returnees, third country nationals and host communities in seven neighbouring countries. As of March 2025, only 6% of the funding has been pledged. Last year, only 31% of the $1.5 billion refugee plan had been funded, $91 million by the US alone.  

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: