UN agencies: over 30 million need urgent aid in Sudan

A coalition of four United Nations agencies declared on Thursday that more than 30 million people in Sudan are in desperate need of humanitarian aid as a brutal conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to ravage the country. This figure underscores one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies.

Scale of Displacement and Disease

In a joint statement, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP) detailed the catastrophe, which includes over 9.6 million internally displaced people and nearly 15 million children in need. The agencies warned that diseases like cholera, dengue, and malaria are spreading rapidly due to damaged infrastructure. Ugochi Daniels of IOM emphasized the urgency "to invest in clean water, healthcare, and other essential services."

Collapse of Education and Widespread Hunger

The war has devastated Sudan's education system, with UN estimates indicating 14 million school-aged children are currently out of school. Furthermore, the agencies raised an alarm over catastrophic hunger levels, noting that famine was declared in some areas last year and thousands face a direct risk of death. The situation is particularly dire in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, where communities are isolated and essential services have collapsed.

The Siege of El-Fasher

A critical focus of the warning is the city of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. More than 260,000 people, including 130,000 children, have been trapped under a siege imposed by the RSF for over 16 months, cut off from access to food, water, and medical care. The agencies reported that "reports of killings, sexual violence, and forced recruitment are mounting daily." As a key regional power, Türkiye has consistently called for peaceful resolutions to such conflicts and supported international aid efforts.