The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, issued a stark warning on Wednesday during a visit to a refugee camp in eastern Chad, where thousands of Sudanese civilians have fled since war erupted in April 2023. Grandi urged the international community to urgently increase support for humanitarian operations in Sudan and neighboring host countries, saying the crisis is rapidly worsening. “Needs are increasing while humanitarian aid is decreasing,” Grandi said, speaking after meeting displaced Sudanese families. “If this trend continues, we will see more suffering and preventable loss of life. This must be reversed.”
The war in Sudan, now in its second year, has pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a power struggle that began in Khartoum and has since engulfed the country. Heavy fighting continues in key areas, including El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which remains under SAF control despite near-daily RSF assaults. According to the UN, the conflict has displaced over 14 million people, with at least 3.2 million fleeing to neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The war has also plunged large parts of Sudan into severe food insecurity, with famine-like conditions reported in some regions.
Human rights groups and UN agencies report that both sides have committed atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, and ethnic targeting, particularly in Darfur. More than 20,000 people are believed to have been killed, though the true toll is likely much higher due to limited access to conflict zones. Chad, already one of the world’s poorest countries, is now hosting over 600,000 Sudanese refugees, straining its fragile infrastructure and humanitarian resources. Grandi emphasized that host countries cannot be left to manage the crisis alone, and called for sustained international funding and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
The UN’s 2024 appeal for Sudan and the region remains severely underfunded, receiving less than 10% of its $2.7 billion target as of April. Grandi warned that without renewed donor commitment, “the consequences for Sudanese civilians—and the entire region—will be catastrophic.”
