A prolonged civil war that has raged for over two and a half years in Sudan has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, pushed much of the country to the brink of famine, and reduced once-thriving cities to rubble.
Since the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on April 15, 2023, the capital city of Khartoum has seen families uprooted, severe shortages of food, and disease outbreaks, in addition to the many casualties during the fighting. Repeated ceasefire calls from the United Nations and regional mediators have failed to bring calm to the country.
"The capital has been occupied by the RSF militia for two years. This prevented any efforts to defeat the epidemic, and even the medical staff were targeted and killed. What I say is that the main reason for the spread of epidemic is the accumulation of the RSF actions. Not only that they rarely prevent the spread of the epidemic, but also they don't put any efforts in aiding those who are injured," said a Sudanese health official Mohamed Altigani.
With hospitals shut down and aid convoys struggling to reach conflict zones, civilians bear the heaviest cost.
"We need more aid and more food supplies. One meal a day is not enough. Sometimes kind charitable people bring lamb or beef, but it's still very few for our basic needs," said Najat Adam, a displaced Sudanese.
For families like hers, Port Sudan offers only fragile safety -- far from the frontlines, but even farther from home.
Elsewhere, the conflict shows no sign of easing, with clashes in the western city of El Fasher further compounding an already desperate humanitarian and health situation. El Fasher, the Sudanese army's last stronghold in the vast Darfur region, has been under intense siege by the RSF since last year.
"What happened in El Fasher is part of what has been happening there for many years. It has always suffered massacres for long periods [of time] in a systematic and organized way by the RSF," said Mohamed Mohamedu, a local journalist.
Valerie Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations at the World Food Program (WFP), described acute levels of hunger in the region, warning that one-quarter of the population faces extreme deprivation.
"Our assessment shows that everyone is hungry in El Fasher, and one in four people faces extreme hunger. WFP has warned that many families trapped in El Fasher are on the brink of starvation," she said.
Mass displacement, worsening hunger in Sudan as civil war persists
Mass displacement, worsening hunger in Sudan as civil war persists
