Sudan Civil War Turns Two Years: 150,000 Dead, UN Warns of World’s Largest Humanitarian Crisis

Sudan’s devastating civil war has entered its third year, leaving behind a trail of destruction, mass displacement, and famine in what the United Nations describes as “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”

The conflict erupted in April 2023 following a fierce power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The rival factions — led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti — were once allies. But a dispute over the transition to civilian rule and the future integration of the RSF into the regular army ignited all-out war.

According to the UN, more than 150,000 people have been killed in the fighting, while 12 million others have fled their homes. Entire cities, including the capital Khartoum, have been reduced to rubble. Health facilities, schools, and markets have been destroyed, leaving millions without access to food, water, or medical care.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) says over 24 million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — now face acute food insecurity. Aid agencies report that famine has already taken hold in several regions, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.

Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to stop the bloodshed. Ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have repeatedly collapsed amid accusations from both sides of violations and obstruction. The army, now based in Port Sudan, maintains control over much of the north and east, while the RSF dominates most of Darfur and the west.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the international community to do more, warning that the crisis in Sudan risks being forgotten as global attention shifts elsewhere. “Sudan’s people are enduring unimaginable suffering,” he said. “They cannot be left behind.”

For millions displaced within and outside the country, the war has upended every aspect of life. Refugee camps in Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt are overwhelmed. Aid convoys continue to face attacks, and relief operations have been severely restricted.

As Sudan’s rival generals continue to battle for power, ordinary citizens are paying the highest price — trapped in a conflict that shows no sign of ending.