Sudan has now entered its third year of conflict, showing no signs of relief for its weary civilians.
Tens of thousands have lost their lives, and more than 13 million have been displaced, leading the United Nations to label this as the world’s largest crisis in terms of hunger and displacement.
Here’s a brief overview of the current situation:
The combat zones
Over the past year and a half, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been rampaging through western and central Sudan, prompting the army to retreat eastward and relocate the government from Khartoum to Port Sudan along the Red Sea.
In November 2024, bolstered by reinforcements and a replenished arsenal, the army initiated an offensive from the east, reclaiming central Sudan.
The Central Bank of Sudan’s heavily damaged building in central Sudan
In March, Burhan declared that Khartoum was “free” of the RSF, solidifying his position of power.
Since then, the RSF has intensified its assaults in Darfur, launching a vigorous offensive on El-Fasher, the last state capital in the expansive western region still controlled by the regular army.
Complete paramilitary control over Darfur would finalize the division of Sudan, with the army governing the north and east, while the RSF oversees the west and, in coalition with its allies, parts of the south.
Alarming human cost
This conflict has been characterized by extreme violence against civilians, yet confirmed death tolls remain elusive.
In Khartoum alone, over 61,000 individuals lost their lives during the initial 14 months of war, with direct violence accounting for 26,000 of those deaths, as reported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Tom Perriello, a former U.S. envoy to Sudan, indicated in May last year that some estimates for the total death count could be as high as 150,000.
Read more: Nations demand an immediate end to the ‘horrific’ war in Sudan
Both parties have faced accusations of deliberately targeting civilians, plundering homes, and obstructing vital humanitarian aid.
Famine has tightened its grip, with five regions declared in a state of famine last year, which includes three significant displacement camps in Darfur and areas in the south.
The United Nations estimates that eight million individuals are on the precipice of widespread famine, while nearly 25 million—approximately half of the population—are experiencing acute hunger.
Displaced individuals from the Zamzam camp, now under RSF control, rest in a temporary shelter
Healthcare infrastructure shattered
Once already fragile, Sudan’s healthcare system is now in ruins.
Official data indicates that nearly 90% of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are currently non-operational, either due to damage from shelling, being stormed by combatants, or being devoid of personnel and essential supplies.
Since the onset of the conflict, at least 78 healthcare workers have been killed due to gunfire or shelling at their places of work or residence, documented by the doctors’ union.
By October of last year, the World Health Organization had recorded 119 attacks on healthcare facilities.
Both factions involved in the conflict have been implicated in these assaults.
