Attachments
Introduction
Almost two years of civil war have left Sudan in a dire situation, facing the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded with more than 30 million people in need of assistance. Twenty-five million people face acute food insecurity. Famine has been declared in at least five locations, and it is projected to spread to five more areas by May 2025. These include Tawila, Nyala Janoub, Nyala Shimal, Beliel, Shattaya, As Sunta, Buram, and Kas in South Darfur.
In Darfur, human rights groups have accused armed groups of ethnic cleansing, and in January 2025 the US determined that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and its allied militias had committed genocide. According to Human Rights Watch, warring parties continue to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international humanitarian law. They have bombed and shelled densely populated areas and civilian infrastructure. Women and girls are exposed to heightened risks as cases of conflict-related sexual violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse are alarmingly widespread.
An estimated 11.5 million people have been forcibly displaced within Sudan, making it the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. Over half of the displaced population are children. South Darfur hosts the largest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan, as almost two million people are now seeking refuge across the state. Community members have demonstrated extraordinary solidarity in opening their homes to displaced people and sharing what little resources they have available to support those in dire need. Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts are struggling to meet growing needs due to severe underfunding and major access constraints, leaving millions without adequate support.
Many people we spoke to expressed a sense of abandonment and urged the international community to do more to bring about a ceasefire. People in South Darfur told us that they live in fear under the constant threat of bombardments, shelling, and human rights violations. Communities are in desperate need of food, water, and medicine, and respondents are calling on aid providers to increase the quantities and coverage of assistance.
Scope
In September 2024, Ground Truth Solutions (GTS), in partnership with DataQ, began a project to explore what the humanitarian situation looks like from the perspective of people in Sudan. We selected two states as the focus of the study: Gedaref and South Darfur. We selected these states because at the time of data collection they hosted the largest numbers of IDPs displaced after the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, excluding the inaccessible North Darfur. As case studies they also represent one state from the Sudanese Armed Forces-controlled east, and one state from the Rapid Support Forces-controlled west. This report contains insights from 427 people in South Darfur state, provided in November and December 2024 via a face-to-face survey questionnaire.