A catastrophic year for Sudan

Statement by Will Carter, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director for Sudan, on one year of war:

“One year since the start of the war in Sudan, the civilians here are enduring starvation, mass sexual violence, large-scale ethnic killing, and executions. Millions more are displaced, and yet the world continues to look the other way.

“Today marks a milestone of shame for the warring parties in Sudan, as much as for the international community that has allowed this catastrophe to worsen. The looming famine should have forced warring parties to allow aid to flow, but the reality on the ground is that aid remains obstructed and global powers remain indifferent.

“One year on, we now have the world’s worst displacement risking becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis on our watch, with paltry levels of funding for the humanitarian response. We need world leaders to step in and provide essential funding to save the lives of millions from imminent famine and ongoing bombardment. We need all the diplomatic influence possible on the warring parties to avert further catastrophe and protect civilians.”

Notes to editors:

• Photos are available for free use here.
• 24.8 million people need humanitarian aid in 2024.
• 6.5 million people have been internally displaced since 15 April 2023 (IOM), in addition to 3.8 million already displaced prior to the start of the war, turning Sudan into the largest internal displacement crisis (IOM),
• Over 25 million people across Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad are trapped in a spiral of deteriorating food security. including at least 17 million in Sudan. The war risks creating the world’s largest hunger crisis (WFP)
• 1.76 million people crossed Sudan’s borders since 15 April, mainly to Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Central African Republic (UNHCR).
• A total of US$2.70bn are needed for this year’s Sudan humanitarian response plan, of which less than 6 per cent has been funded so far.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

• Karl Schembri, NRC Media Adviser in Nairobi: karl.schembri@nrc.no, +254 741 664562
• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329