Despite repeated ceasefire agreements between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting continues unabated, creating a relentless churn of violence that has plunged Sudan and the wider region into an atrocious humanitarian crisis.

Sudan is now witnessing the world’s largest internal displacement crisis with over 7.1 million people displaced in total. Following the escalation of conflict in Zalingei and subsequently in El Fasher (North Darfur) on 31 October, Kashif Shafique Country Director at Relief International Sudan gravely warns of humanitarian catastrophe.  

Kashif says, “We are deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict, including the use of heavy artillery and airstrikes, in North Darfur. We have not yet seen violence like it. Attacks on civilians and hospitals are surging amidst the ongoing war and dire humanitarian situation. It is heartbreaking.  

Across Sudan, the fighting has impacted every aspect of daily life. Limited supplies of food and water have been reported, with what is available being quickly taken by armed groups. Prices for everyday items have soared by over 100%. Essential amenities like banks and schools have shut down with no clear timeline for when they will re-open.

Approximately 60% of all hospitals are non-functional. Incidents of criminality are on the rise making it unsafe for households to venture outside. And, in Khartoum and other areas around the country, violent conflict continues with thousands dead and thousands more injured.

UNHCR estimates over 300,000 refugees/returnees have already arrived in South Sudan and 450,000 have arrived in Chad. The majority of these new arrivals are women and children. Many have arrived after running for their lives, suffering from psychological trauma, owning nothing, and in need of urgent care and shelter.

There are major gaps in food, shelter, WASH facilities, and other basic services at transit sites and refugee camps in both South Sudan and Chad, straining the ability of the humanitarian community to provide essential assistance.

Relief International staff are providing vital services in Sudan, South Sudan and Chad. In Sudan, our teams are continuing to provide emergency healthcare in more than 40 clinics. These facilities ensure people in these areas have access to much needed primary and secondary healthcare consultations, antenatal care, vaccinations and malnutrition services.

In South Sudan, our teams are providing healthcare and nutritional services in three counties. Our mobile medical teams rushed to the border with Sudan as soon as the conflict began, where they have been providing emergency medical services to people crossing the border and those stranded at transit sites ever since. Moreover, as more refugees are now being transported to refugee camps in the country, we are expanding our healthcare capacity at these camps to be able to cope with the increased number of people.

In Chad, we are working closely with authorities and other humanitarian actors to organize and deploy our teams to the new refugee camps being set up there so we can start providing healthcare services to the increasing number of people crossing the border every day.

All of this is only possible with your help.

We have hundreds of staff on the ground providing services to the people most impacted by the violence in Sudan.

Without help from our donors, none of this would be possible.

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