The Widening Darkness in Sudan

December 2, 2025
Dhruv Arun

Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the national Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization. Across Sudan, nearly 12 million people, about half of them children, are now forcibly displaced or have fled to neighbouring countries, with sexual violence reported in conflict zones nationwide.

Against this backdrop, the situation in Darfur and Kordofan has sharply worsened in recent weeks. The RSF seized control of El Fasher—the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state—on October 26 after an 18-month siege that cut residents off from food, medicine and other critical supplies. UN agencies say conditions are deteriorating further across North Darfur and neighbouring Kordofan, while independent human rights experts on Thursday warned that the collapse of protection following the city’s fall has sharply increased the risks facing women and children.

Independent human rights experts expressed alarm at reports of trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation and sexual slavery, and the recruitment of children as fighters, particularly since the RSF takeover of El Fasher. The experts said “Women and girls have been abducted in RSF-controlled areas, and women, unaccompanied and separated children are at elevated risk of sexual violence and sexual exploitation,” calling attention to the rising dangers civilians face. The experts highlighted this surge in exploitation as directly tied to the collapse of governance and the expansion of RSF checkpoints across the region.

Since the siege of El Fasher began in May 2024, more than 470,000 people have been displaced multiple times from camps including Shagra, Zamzam and Abu Shouk. Families who fled the fighting are now scattered across five locations surrounding El Fasher, including Tawila, while others have reached more distant areas such as Dabbah in Northern State and even the national capital, Khartoum. Currently, 1,485 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies, enough for about 130,000 people, are en route to Tawila through the Dabbah Crossing, adding to ongoing assistance for those displaced earlier this year.

At the same time, renewed fighting in the Kordofan region is driving further large-scale displacement. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 1,800 people were displaced in South Kordofan on Tuesday alone, while in North Kordofan, nearly 40,000 people were uprooted between October 25 and November 18. More than 1,600 Sudanese civilians fled the town of Kertala in South Kordofan in a single day as insecurity escalated alongside rising abuses by the RSF. This latest wave of displacement follows RSF attacks, supported by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), on several villages in South Kordofan, including the abduction of young people for forced recruitment.

Humanitarian needs have reached catastrophic levels. 21.2 million people face food insecurity, including famine conditions in Darfur and Kordofan. This food security has sharply worsened in Darfur and Kordofan States due to active conflict and restricted access, where famine was confirmed in El Fasher and Kadugli.

Sudan also faces overlapping public health emergencies that are accelerating due to displacement, overcrowding and continued fighting. Since July 2024, over 123,000 cholera cases and 3,500 deaths have been reported across 18 States with a case fatality rate of 2.8%. Dengue fever has surged to over 40,000 cases and 108 deaths, indicating widespread community transmission.

Despite the dangerous conditions, UNICEF scaled up life-saving services: 811,000 people gained access to safe water; 491,700 vaccine doses were distributed; 5.5 million children were screened for malnutrition and 500,000 treated for SAM; and 2,268 schools reopened in Darfur. Nevertheless, UNICEF’s US$950M appeal remains 52% underfunded, threatening continuity of critical services for millions of children.

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is preparing to travel to Port Sudan and Addis Ababa next week to press for renewed political dialogue. He is expected to focus on the urgent need for civilian protection and unhindered humanitarian access across Darfur and Kordofan.