Sudan Crisis (Since April 2023)
How the war began The current war in Sudan started on 15 April 2023, when the Janjaweed militias, known today as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), attacked the presidential palace in Khartoum and attempted to capture the head of Sudan’s government, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The Sudanese army fought back and very quickly, fighting spread across the cities. These militias, many of whom came from outside Sudan, committed widespread atrocities: killing civilians, looting, raping, and destroying property. Khartoum city was almost completely destroyed. Wealthier families managed to flee abroad, while many others migrated north or to Al-Gezira state in central Sudan. Humanitarian impact of the war The RSF imposed tight sieges on several cities, cutting off food, medicine, and basic supplies. Children and the elderly began dying from hunger and lack of healthcare. Despite immense destruction, the Sudanese army gradually regained strength and managed to push the RSF out of Khartoum and Al-Gezira state after months of fierce battles. As the RSF retreated, they regrouped in Kordofan and El Fasher (North Darfur) — areas they knew well. There, they once again imposed sieges, surrounding cities and camps, trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians without food, clean water, or medicine. El Fasher today El Fasher is now one of the most devastated cities in Sudan, where the ongoing siege has left people in catastrophic conditions. Families are surviving on little or no food as markets are empty and aid cannot enter, while most hospitals have been destroyed or are out of service, leaving the sick and injured without medicine or treatment. With bodies left unburied in the streets during earlier battles, epidemics have spread, and deadly diseases such as dengue fever are rising rapidly due to poor sanitation and the collapse of healthcare. Thousands of children are at severe risk, suffering from malnutrition and illnesses that could otherwise be prevented. El Fasher remains under siege, with civilians facing famine, disease, and constant attacks. Flooding across Sudan As if the war was not enough, Sudan has also been struck by heavy flooding in September 2025. Torrential rains swept through many states, destroying homes and farmland. Farmers lost large portions of their crops, worsening food shortages in a country already on the brink of famine. In displacement camps, floodwaters contaminated drinking water and sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases. The floods also blocked aid delivery routes, making it even harder for supplies to reach those most in need. Sudan today faces a triple crisis of war, disease, and natural disaster. The ongoing conflict and sieges continue to kill and starve civilians, while deadly outbreaks such as dengue fever and cholera spread unchecked due to the collapse of the health system. At the same time, severe flooding has destroyed homes and farmland, leaving farmers without crops and millions of people deeper in hunger. The people of Sudan—especially those trapped in El Fasher—are enduring unimaginable suffering, caught between man-made violence and natural disasters, with little help able to reach them.
