Sudan Appeal

The extreme humanitarian crisis in the Sudan – prolonged conflict, widespread displacement, acute food insecurity, disease outbreaks and the collapse of essential services – has left more than 30.4 million people (half of them children) requiring urgent assistance in 2025. The displacement crisis in the country is the largest in the world: nearly 11.6 million people, more than half of them children, have been forced to flee their homes.

A rapidly worsening food crisis has caused acute food insecurity affecting more than 24.6 million people. Disrupted markets, damaged infrastructure and poor harvests have made food unaffordable for the majority of people, pushing malnutrition in the Sudan to critical levels. In 2025, 770,000 children are projected to be at immediate risk of severe wasting without urgent intervention. Untreated, this condition can lead to death and cause irreversible physical and cognitive damage. Children in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, where access to basic services remains severely restricted, are particularly vulnerable. Global acute malnutrition rates are above the WHO emergency threshold of 15 per cent. Some areas exceed 30 per cent, signaling famine, which has already ravaged several areas, while additional parts of the country remain at risk. 

The country’s health system is in crisis. Seventy per cent of health facilities are non- operational due to damage and shortages of critical supplies. Health workers have been unpaid for months, further weakening the already fragile system. Security challenges and restricted access have severely disrupted essential health services, including routine immunization. As a result, approximately 3.4 million children under age 5 are at high risk of disease outbreaks.

Widespread destruction of infrastructure has left millions without access to essential services, including health care, education and safe drinking water. Women and girls continue to face the threat of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, abduction and enslavement, reportedly perpetrated by the warring parties. Seventeen million children are out of school, deepening the cycle of poverty and vulnerability. The collapse of water and sanitation systems has contributed to a rise in waterborne diseases, with one third of the population lacking access to safe drinking water. The upsurge of malaria cases is particularly alarming: the Sudan accounts for 41 per cent of all malaria cases and 49 per cent of malaria-related deaths, with an average of 10,000 malaria cases and 21 deaths each day.

UNICEF’s strategy for humanitarian response in the Sudan focuses on providing targeted, life-saving support to the most vulnerable populations while restoring essential services, building resilience and supporting recovery efforts in areas of return and within host communities. The strategy addresses immediate needs and sustains basic services, particularly in conflict-affected areas, for displaced populations and in returnee areas that are newly accessible, emphasizing life-sustaining support as resource pressure increases. 

UNICEF will enhance early detection and treatment of malnutrition while scaling up preventive nutrition services to mitigate long-term risks. Efforts will focus on preventing the further collapse of health systems while strengthening rapid response mechanisms to address disease outbreaks and support the operation, maintenance and expansion of critical water supply systems. 

UNICEF is also focusing on rebuilding essential services in conflictravaged areas where infrastructure and systems have been severely damaged. Restoring these services is critical for supporting returnees and enabling communities to regain access to vital resources. 

A key component of the strategy is the continued provision of integrated health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and child protection services. This will safeguard children’s well-being by maintaining services and preparing for emerging challenges such as floods and disease outbreaks. 

UNICEF emphasizes delivering high-quality, targeted aid and empowering local responders to act in hard-to-reach and conflictaffected areas. This ensures a sustainable response and the continuity of essential services. 

UNICEF is scaling up programmes in urban areas, particularly in cities hosting internally displaced people and in areas of return, where restoring such essential services as water and sanitation is crucial to preventing further deterioration of living conditions. Expanding cash-based interventions, including multipurpose cash assistance, empowers families with the financial flexibility to meet immediate needs and make key decisions in an evolving context. 

UNICEF’s approach incorporates accountability, localization and sustainability to enhance humanitarian operations. Interventions around social and behaviour change and accountability to affected populations ensure communities are informed, engaged and empowered to shape decisions impacting their lives. 

By fostering strong coordination with humanitarian partners and authorities, UNICEF aims to ensure a swift, well-coordinated response that upholds the well-being of children and families across the Sudan. 

UNICEF leads the Education, Nutrition and WASH clusters, and the Child Protection Area of Responsibility. The organization plays a pivotal role in the Health Cluster, the gender-based violence sub- cluster and the Refugee Consultation Forum; and co-chairs the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting. 

UNICEF embraces calculated risk management strategies, navigating logistical and political barriers to deliver services to children and families in need, safeguarding their dignity and future.