Sudan’s Never-Ending War: 1,000 Days of Despair

January 9, 2025, marked the 1000th day of Sudan’s civil crisis, but it has still received often inadequate international attention. Since April 2023, Sudan has undergone severe political and humanitarian unrest, with roughly 34 million Sudanese people in need of health or humanitarian assistance this year, and an additional 13.6 million displaced since the beginning of the nationwide conflict.

However, on Sunday, January 11, Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris declared that 2026 would be a “year of peace” for Sudan, as the country’s military-led government has officially returned to its capital, Khartoum, after years of operating from its wartime base in Port Sudan. However, they have a host of problems to solve.

Over 150,000 people have died in the conflict, and displacement has reached unprecedented levels. About 12.5 million people are internally displaced, while another 3 million have fled to neighbouring countries, such as Chad and South Sudan, according to UN data. Millions more are living in precarious conditions near frontlines or in informal settlements with minimal access to services. 

Those lacking services include even the most basic kind, as acute hunger grips large swathes of the country. This has meant widening famine conditions in several regions, with famine levels confirmed in El Fasher and Kadugli, along with the increased risk to additional towns across Darfur and Kordofan. With markets disrupted and food production devastated, over 21 million Sudanese face food insecurity. Officials have declared it the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Unfortunately, like many global conflicts, both women and children bear a disproportionate share of the hardship. UN agencies note that female-headed households are three times more likely to face food insecurity than the global average. In addition, women confront heightened risks of sexual violence while seeking basic necessities. Children, nearly half of all people fleeing the country, face unique struggles in disrupted education and long-term psychosocial trauma. 

But despite such a plethora of challenges sweeping the country, there seems to be no end in sight. Instead, political deadlock, mutual distrust between combatants and external arms flows continue a cycle of violence. 

The government, led by Prime Minister Idris, plans to focus on restoring basic services, specifically restoring electricity, water supply, and dire healthcare to its millions of affected citizens. He has also sworn to restore Sudanese universities and state institutions alongside his cabinet. Unfortunately, however, doubt is still present as the state must thwart all RSF and SAF activities causing mass displacement, violence, and starvation in the region. 

In the meantime, it is clear that the returning government has countless major critical steps to take. Within the first days of the cabinet’s return to the capital, the SAF carried out major airstrikes against the RSF, as well as announced a potential large-scale offensive on Kordofan and Darfur. As the Sudanese people continually bear witness to the genocidal circumstances of their leaders, it is imperative for Idris and his cabinet to do everything in their power to fulfil their promises for the new year. 

Read more here:

• UNICEF Statements

• Joseph Siegle - Africa Center

• Al Jazeera