Sudan Crisis 2025: Displacement, Famine, Response

Sudan Displacement: Millions Flee Conflict

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Unmatched Sudan Displacement Shakes the Continent

Sudan’s civil war is now in its third year. The conflict has created an overwhelming humanitarian disaster. We are witnessing the largest displacement crisis anywhere on the planet right now. The sheer numbers are hard to comprehend. Over 12 million Sudanese people have been forced from their homes but remain inside the country (IDPs). Another 3.9 million have become refugees, crossing borders into neighboring lands as of April 2025 (Situation Update: Sudan April 2025 – USCRI; A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). This tragedy affects our brothers and sisters, fellow people of the African diaspora, facing unimaginable hardship.

The fighting that erupted in April 2023 dramatically worsened the situation. Since then, a staggering 8 million more people were displaced within Sudan by 2025 (Situation Update: Sudan April 2025 – USCRI). Countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia are straining under the weight of refugees. They host 3.3 million Sudanese seeking safety. In Chad, a heartbreaking 90% of these refugees are women and children (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Therefore, the burden falls heavily on already struggling nations, testing the limits of regional solidarity and resources.

Starvation as a Weapon: Sudan Famine Looms

The suffering extends beyond displacement. Famine conditions are now a grim reality in Sudan. At least five areas face confirmed famine. A shocking 635,000 Sudanese people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity – Phase 5, the highest level (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). This isn’t just a natural disaster; it’s man-made. Both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are deliberately blocking food and medical aid. They are using starvation as a weapon of war (World Leaders Need to Help End Atrocities in Sudan). This tactic hits the most vulnerable people hardest.

International aid efforts face significant hurdles. Cuts to U.S. aid tragically forced the closure of 300 soup kitchens. These kitchens were lifelines for many (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). The declaration of famine often comes too late, only after widespread death has already occurred (Will the UN Declare a Famine in Gaza?). Consequently, the international community must act decisively to ensure aid reaches those starving before it’s too late for thousands more.

Genocide and RSF Atrocities Haunt Darfur Again

The horrors don’t stop at displacement and hunger. There are widespread atrocities and human rights violations. The U.S. State Department made a crucial determination in January 2025. It found that the RSF committed genocide in Darfur. This includes ethnic killings and systematic rape (Situation Update: Sudan April 2025 – USCRI; Sudan Genocide Emergency: January 2025). This echoes the nightmare of the 2003 Darfur genocide, where government-backed Janjaweed militias killed around 300,000 civilians (Darfur | Holocaust Encyclopedia). The RSF grew out of those same Janjaweed militias (Rapid Support Forces – Wikipedia).

Non-Arab communities, particularly the Masalit people in Darfur, face brutal targeting. Tactics include village burnings and mass executions, mirroring the 2003 horrors (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches; Sudan: Ethnic Cleansing in West Darfur). In El Fasher alone, RSF shelling killed 782 civilians between September and December 2024. Survivors reported targeted attacks specifically aimed at Masalit communities (Sudan Genocide Emergency: January 2025). Furthermore, sexual violence is rampant. Over 221 cases of child rape were documented in 2024. Both RSF and SAF recruit children, some as young as seven, into combat (End of 2024 Saw More Violence in Sudan; A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). RSF militias use rape systematically as a weapon of terror, especially in displacement camps (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches).

World Watches, Powers Arm: Failed Sudan Peace Talks

The international community’s response has been weak. This inaction allows the crisis to worsen. Foreign powers are fueling the flames instead of extinguishing them. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China supply weapons to the RSF. Egypt supports the SAF (World Leaders Need to Help End Atrocities in Sudan; A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). The UAE funnels arms, including drones and ammunition, through Chad, despite denying it (World Leaders Need to Help End Atrocities in Sudan). Meanwhile, Turkish-made Bayraktar drones used by the SAF have struck civilian areas (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). These actions prolong the conflict and civilian suffering.

Diplomatic efforts have consistently failed. The April 2025 London Sudan Conference ended without any enforceable agreements. This failure mirrors the collapse of the Jeddah talks in 2023 (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Deep divisions between Arab states supporting opposing sides (like Egypt and the UAE) blocked consensus (London conference on Sudan fails). Even UN Security Council actions lack teeth. A June 2024 resolution condemned the siege of El Fasher but included no way to enforce it (World Leaders Need to Help End Atrocities in Sudan). Moreover, key players like the UK and US have not sanctioned RSF commanders responsible for atrocities, undermining accountability (World Leaders Need to Help End Atrocities in Sudan).

A Path Forward? Demanding Action for Sudan

Ending this cycle of violence requires concrete steps. A genuine civilian-led transitional government is essential. This government must grant autonomy to regions like Darfur to address historical grievances (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Peace processes cannot succeed if they only involve elites. Grassroots organizations and local responders, like El Fasher’s Popular Support Committee which organizes defense and aid (A SHORT HISTORY OF EL FASHER), must be included (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Their involvement ensures inclusivity and local ownership.

Protecting civilians and aid delivery requires more than words. A multinational UN peacekeeping force is needed urgently. This force must have the mandate to secure humanitarian corridors and monitor ceasefires (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). The African Union, potentially supported by European states, could provide troops for critical areas like El Fasher (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). However, securing political will for such a mission faces challenges amid competing international interests (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Finally, the flow of weapons must stop. Targeted sanctions against the UAE, Egypt, and Turkey for arming the warring parties could significantly reduce the fighting’s intensity (A Nation Bleeds While the World Watches). Accountability, protection, and an inclusive peace process offer the only viable path away from this devastating conflict.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.