UN agencies warn humanitarian system in Sudan ‘could collapse’

“We simply can’t turn our back on the people of Sudan when they need us most,” Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM) Amy Pope said on Monday. The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don't act now."

Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil conflict since 2023 between rival militaries and their backers. Some 8.6 million people remain internally displaced and 19.5 million people currently face crisis levels of food insecurity, which has been compounded by maritime disruptions and drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern.

Speaking to reporters on Monday following an eight-day trip to Sudan, WFP Acting Director Carl Skau said the crisis in Sudan “by far does not get the attention it deserves.”

He added that WFP has the presence and capacity to deliver an effective humanitarian response but is mostly constrained by funding.

“It is possible to make a difference,” he said. “Our main problem is funding. There is a risk we will have to scale back quite significantly in the next few weeks unless more funding is provided.”

The Common Humanitarian Pipeline system – managed by IOM and allowing more than 100 partners to provide aid – has reached 2.84 million people since July 2023. But its reach has shrunk each year due to falling donations as other crises dominate global attention.

IOM warned that current shelter, sanitation and emergency household relief items will run out by the end of September, while warehouses will close without additional funding by December.

Meanwhile, WFP reaches 4 to 5 million people in Sudan each month with humanitarian aid, including agricultural support and cash and food assistance.

Amid access challenges by road, Mr. Skau said WFP recently expanded its humanitarian aid service in Sudan. With additional humanitarian funding, the UN and its partners could expand the air service and reach more civilians in need.

“We need to step up,” Mr. Skau said. “We cannot continue to fail these people.”

Well into its fourth year, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to endanger civilians and drive people from their homes, according to the UN’s aid office (OCHA).

Over the weekend, drone strikes displaced thousands across the states of Blue Nile, North Darfur and West Darfur. Local sources reported civilian casualties.

In North Kordofan, El Obeid has acted as a haven for people fleeing violence elsewhere in the country. But the RSF has surrounded the city, and camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) are stretched beyond their capacities, putting increasing pressure on essential services.

“We once again call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need across Sudan,” OCHA said.

On a recent eight-day trip to Sudan, Mr. Skau visited communities and local displacement camps in El Obeid, El Fasher, Khartoum and other areas.

He told reporters that he spoke with women who had to return home without water after a tank ran out and people who walked up to five days to reach IDP camps after their villages were destroyed.

In the North Darfur town of Tawila, Mr. Skau said he saw hundreds of thousands who had fled violence in El Fasher living in “an endless ocean of grass huts.” WFP has reached nearly the entire population with assistance but is only able to provide half rations.

It took Mr. Skau three days to travel by car from El Obeid to El Fasher – a journey which he said used to take six hours.

Upon his arrival in El Fasher, Mr. Skau found a “daunting city” hollowed out by the RSF’s brutal 18-month siege on the city, which ended in late October.

“I have seen a lot in this job and beyond. El Fasher was quite special,” Mr. Skau said. “It illustrates what conflict leaves behind, and it underlines the urgency of bringing an end to the conflict.”

When displaced families do not receive adequate shelter, they face increased risk of gender-based violence, family separation and eviction from overcrowded IDP camps.

IOM requires $15 million to maintain its humanitarian pipeline at minimum capacity for 12 months, though additional funding would allow it to reach more people.

WFP is only about one-third funded in Sudan, according to Mr. Skau. More donations would allow the agency to more effectively provide for locals’ needs and adequately protect civilians.

“People deserve to be supported with basic humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Skau said.