Sudan Remains World’s Biggest Humanitarian Crisis Amid Severe Underfunding

On April 15, 2026, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator described Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis on the three-year anniversary of the conflict that has torn the country apart.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s head of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination (OCHA), stated during an April 14, 2026, press conference in Geneva that the international response has been crippled by severe underfunding.

Nearly 34 million people – or almost two out of every three people – need humanitarian support: the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Tom Fletcher, UN’s head of Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination

Fletcher noted that millions of people have been driven from their homes across Sudan and beyond its borders, resulting in the uprooting of families and the emptying of entire communities.

Aid Funding and Reach

The UN indicated that relief efforts remain severely underfunded despite the scale of the crisis. In 2025, humanitarians reached 17 million people with vital support.

The goal for 2026 is to provide support to 20 million people, but Fletcher characterized the current UN action as critically underfunded.

Humanitarian Impact and Casualties

The conflict has led to the collapse of Sudan’s health system and the destruction of its economy. Reports indicate the deaths of thousands of children and a lack of opportunities for the young.

Violence has continued to escalate, with reports that nearly 700 civilians were killed in drone strikes during the first three months of 2026.

Speakers at the April 14, 2026, conference in Geneva specifically cited the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. UN Women reported that women and girls are being targeted in the conflict, and while women-led organizations are central to the humanitarian response, they face insecurity and funding shortages.

Displacement and Regional Stability

The crisis has created significant displacement within the region. In Tawila, displaced mothers and children have gathered at a Save the Children facility in Daba Naira camp.

These families fled fighting in other parts of Darfur and the city of El Fasher. Basic services, nutrition support, and food are being provided at the site through support from the OCHA-managed Sudan Humanitarian Fund.

Fletcher warned that there is a high risk of wider regional instability resulting from the ongoing conflict.

Sudan remains a test the world is failing

UN Coordinator