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HIGHLIGHTS
- In 2025, 30.4 million people require urgent assistance, a 23 per cent increase from 2024. 24 million people face acute food insecurity, with famine devastating five regions.
- More than 15.6 million children are affected. They face violence, including abuse and exploitation, forced displacement, malnutrition, and disease. Over three million children are at risk from deadly epidemics due to collapsing health systems. 17 million are out of school.
- In January, UNICEF delivered 2.6 million vaccine doses to immunise an estimated 147,159 children against 11 diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, tetanus, polio, measles, meningococcal A, yellow fever, pneumococcal disease, and rotavirus.
- In 2025, UNICEF requires US$ 1 billion to reach 13.1 million people, including 8.7 million children. Despite being the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, the response remains critically underfunded, putting the lives and well-being of vulnerable children and families at severe risk.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
As of January 2025, Sudan hosts an estimated 11.5 million internally displaced persons, of which 53 per cent are children. Since 15 April 2023, people have been internally displaced, originating from all 18 states and spreading to over 10,000 locations across the country, while over 3.5 million individuals have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries.
Intense clashes continued across Sudan in January 2025, with heavy fighting concentrated in Khartoum, Aj Jazirah, and Darfur, driving further displacement and restricting humanitarian access. Reports of human rights abuses and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) persisted, while ongoing conflict continued to displace millions, deepening the humanitarian crisis. In North Darfur, particularly intense conflict triggered massive displacement and exacerbated the already acute humanitarian situation. Hundreds of thousands of people remained trapped in El Fasher town and Zamzam camp, where active fighting continued to take place. Health, nutrition, and WASH services for children and families have been disrupted due to insecurity and a shortage of critical supplies. Across conflict-affected areas, attacks on vital civilian infrastructure, including water treatment plants and the Merowe Dam, a key source of electricity for the country, became increasingly common. Hospitals and markets have also been targeted, resulting in numerous casualties. In Khartoum, where an estimated 2.3 million remain, most water treatment plants remained non-operational.
Amid shifting frontlines, sizeable, displaced populations have begun to return home, particularly in Sennar and Aj Jazirah states. Approximately 55,000 individuals from Gedaref, Kassala, and Blue Nile returned to Sennar, with similar movements expected in other areas. However, the destruction of infrastructure and basic services, along with the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs), presents major challenges to safe and sustainable returns.
The health crisis remains severe. Cholera has spread across 10 states, affecting 43 localities, with 1,799 cumulative reported cases, an attack rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people, and 44 deaths attributed to cholera. This represents a decline from 4,685 reported cases in December 2024, but the outbreak remains a concern. Additionally, 549 suspected dengue cases have been reported in Kassala and Khartoum states, with one associated death. Suspected measles cases have also been reported in Tawila, North Darfur .
Meanwhile, famine is reported to be occurring in at least four hotspot locations in Sudan: Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps in North Darfur, as well as host communities and camps for the internally displaced in the Western Nuba Mountains. Projections indicate that five additional areas could face famine by May, with 17 other locations also at risk. An estimated 1.3 million children under five live in these areas, with 683,000 expected to suffer from acute malnutrition .