People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced walk in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025. © AFP
Sudan war forces displacement of 13 million people
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- About 13 million people have fled their homes since April 2023, according to the United Nations.
- Aid agencies warn Sudan is facing the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.
The war in Sudan has displaced about 13 million people since it erupted on April 15, 2023, including more than 4 million who have fled to neighboring countries, the United Nations said.
The UN has described the situation as the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, citing severe shortages of food, shelter, and health care across large parts of the country.
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Worsening humanitarian conditions
Conditions are deteriorating sharply in displacement sites in Tawila in North Darfur, the Al-Affad camp in northern Sudan, and in the cities of El-Obeid in North Kordofan, Kosti in White Nile state, and Damazin in Blue Nile region, according to the UN.
UN estimates indicate that more than 8 million Sudanese have been internally displaced by the fighting. Sudan’s Childhood Council said the war has disrupted education for nearly 12 million children, leaving an entire generation at risk.
Ethnic killings allegations in Darfur
The Sudan Doctors Network accused the Rapid Support Forces of killing more than 200 people on an ethnic basis in the towns of Ambro, Sirba, and Abu Qamra since the group announced control over the areas days earlier. The Rapid Support Forces have not commented on the allegations.
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Earlier this week, the Joint Force of Armed Movements in Darfur said it repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces on several northern areas of North Darfur.
Fighting spreads in Kordofan
Beyond Darfur, intense clashes have escalated in recent weeks across the 3 Kordofan states North, West, and South between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has forced tens of thousands more civilians to flee.
Out of Sudan’s 18 states, the Rapid Support Forces currently control the 5 Darfur states in the west, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The Sudanese army holds sway over most of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Aid agencies warn that without an immediate reduction in violence and expanded humanitarian access, displacement figures and civilian suffering are likely to rise further in the months ahead.
