CommunicationPublished on 26 February 2024

Sudan's unseen crisis: a humanitarian disaster overlooked by the global community

Since April 2023, fighting in Sudan has caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, 24.8 million people will need humanitarian aid in 2024. With the massive influx of Sudanese refugees into Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, an entire region has been affected. The SDC has released additional funds to support humanitarian activities in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

The WFP distributing emergency aid to people seeking shelter in the Osma Degna school in Port Sudan. — © WFP / Abubakar Garelnabei

The Sudanese refugees have lost everything. They've been sleeping in makeshift shelters for months, waiting to be transferred to a camp. Mothers are often left alone with their children, having either lost their husbands or not knowing their whereabouts.

Patricia Danzi, SDC director general

I recall an encounter in Renk with a young woman and her family. She was forced to abandon her promising studies and flee Sudan, leaving her utterly distraught. The image of this young woman, once brimming with hope for a fulfilling life, only to face such a dramatic shift overnight, remains etched in my memory.

Dominik Stillhart, delegate for humanitarian aid and assistant director general of the SDC