More than four million people have fled Sudan since the civil war began in 2023, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Officials warn that many survivors now live in inadequate shelter due to severe funding gaps.
“This is the world’s most devastating displacement crisis today,” said U.N. spokesperson Eujin Byun during a briefing in Geneva. “Now in its third year, Sudan’s conflict continues to push thousands across borders, threatening both regional and global stability.”
Sudan, which spiraled into violence in April 2023, borders seven nations: Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, and Libya. Chad alone has received over 800,000 refugees. However, conditions remain dire, with only 14% of funding appeals fulfilled.
UNHCR official Dossou Patrice Ahouansou described the crisis as a humanitarian and protection emergency. He shared harrowing stories from refugee camps, including that of a seven-year-old girl from Sudan’s Zamzam displacement camp. She lost her leg in an attack that also claimed her father and two brothers. Her mother had died in a previous assault.
Other refugees recounted being forced to flee on foot after armed groups seized their animals. Some said they had to pull family members in carts as they escaped violence.
