• Conflict
• Wed 12 2025

Sudan’s Civil War: Anatomy of the World’s Largest Humanitarian Crisis

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war that has devastated the country and triggered the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today. What began as a violent power struggle between rival military factions has spiraled into a full-scale conflict that has shattered state institutions, displaced millions, and created unprecedented levels of human suffering.

The current war erupted on 15 April 2023, when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attempted to overthrow the government led by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Fighting quickly spread from Khartoum, the capital, to key regions such as Darfur and Kordofan, engulfing the country in violence. Over the course of more than two years of fighting, the war has morphed from a military confrontation into a humanitarian catastrophe, with civilians bearing the overwhelming brunt.

Recent reports indicate:

·        More than 1,600 people have been killed in attacks on healthcare facilities alone in 2025, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

·        Drone strikes and aerial attacks have killed dozens of civilians in regions like Kordofan, including infrastructure such as hospitals and U.N. bases.

These figures are conservative estimates; independent monitoring groups suggest actual death tolls are significantly higher.

The United Nations estimates that over 14 million people have been forced from their homes — including both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The scale of displacement makes Sudan’s civil war not just a national tragedy, but a regional destabilizer, with strains on public services and social networks in host countries.

Humanitarian Collapse: Hunger, Disease and Health System Destruction

Hospitals and clinics have been destroyed, damaged, or forced to close, leaving most Sudanese without basic care. The WHO describes the crisis as a regional health emergency, with outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and measles exacerbated by conflict conditions and mass displacement. Attacks on health facilities including hospitals not only kill civilians directly but also undermine efforts to control disease and treat the wounded. The war has precipitated one of the most severe hunger crises in modern history. More than 30 million people well over half the population now need urgent humanitarian assistance for food, water, shelter, and health services. Famine conditions have been confirmed in parts of North Darfur and South Kordofan, with acute food insecurity affecting millions. Even where fighting has eased, economic collapse and shattered production systems make recovery slow and fragile. 

Global and Regional Implications

1.     Sudan’s crisis is not isolated. It has strained regional systems by overburdening neighboring countries’ resources.

2.     Elevated fears of broader instability across the Sahel and East Africa.

3.     Sparked debate about the international community’s commitment to civilian protection and humanitarian law.

4.     Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that global inaction and insufficient funding have worsened the crisis’s impact.

Pathways to Peace

 1. Immediate Ceasefire and Humanitarian Access

 2. Accountability and Protection

 3. Regional and International Diplomacy

 4. Sustained Humanitarian Support

Analytical Reflection:

Sudan’s civil war is more than a national tragedy it is one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time. Tens of millions are affected by violence, hunger, disease, and displacement. Without immediate, coordinated international action, the suffering will only deepen. Through rigorous research and sustained advocacy, organizations like Islamabad Centre of Education and Peace (ICEP) can help amplify these urgent humanitarian needs and contribute to informed dialogues on conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

By : Abdullah sayaf