Sudan Emergency

Violence has engulfed Sudan, displacing millions and leaving cities, homes and lives in ruins.

Since April 2023, over 7.3 million people – one in every eight people in Sudan have been uprooted, forced to flee to relatives’ homes, temporary camps where conditions are abysmal, or across borders where life is not any easier.

While about 1.5 million people have fled to neighbouring countries, the vast majority, 5.8 million people, are displaced within Sudan, putting enormous pressure on impoverished host communities. Almost half of the entire population of Khartoum state has now been displaced, leaving the capital city a desolate ghost town with remaining residents forced to largely stay inside for fear of being shot in the streets.

Eight months of brutal conflict have destroyed lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure. Communities are reporting horrific violence – including a massacre of around 1,000 people in Darfur this month and reports of mass rape of women and civilians being enslaved or buried alive

More than 12,000 people have officially been killed by the violence, but fatalities are believed to be underreported and the death toll from hunger, disease and lack of basic services could rise far higher.

Millions of people across the country are experiencing acute hunger. Islamic Relief is seeing a rapid increase in malnourished children at the health clinics we support, with hunger levels rising as farmers are forced from their land and humanitarian convoys continue to be attacked. More than 3.4 million children are now reported to be acutely malnourished.

Diseases such as malaria and measles are also rife, and around three quarters of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are no longer operating, leaving most people without access to healthcare.

The humanitarian situation is dire, with families struggling to survive and meet their basic needs.

Islamic Relief’s humanitarian response has also consisted of:

• Distributing medicine to 16 hospitals and 6 medical clinics.
• Providing 4,174 women and girls with dignity kits.
• Cash assistance to 36,230 people
• Supporting local farmers with their livelihoods and supplying high quality, durable seeds to more than 100,000 farmers.