The world continues to ignore one of the century’s most devastating humanitarian catastrophes as Sudan enters its third year of civil war. The war, which began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has resulted in catastrophic human suffering, with an estimated death toll of over 150,000, the displacement of more than 13 million people, and the devastation of entire cities.

Sudan is now home to the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, with over 13 million people forced from their homes.

The international community’s response has been alarmingly muted in spite of these staggering numbers, indicating a perilous pattern of selective outrage and geopolitical apathy. The conflict between the SAF, which is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, which is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, more commonly referred to as Hemedti, quickly turned into full-scale urban warfare and ethnic massacres.

A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that violence, hunger, and a lack of healthcare killed over 61,000 people in Khartoum alone between April 2023 and June 2024. Darfur’s predicament is even more appalling. Experts define acts of genocide as targeted ethnic violence against the Masalit community in West Darfur, particularly in El Geneina. Since the conflict broke out, human rights groups think that ethnic cleansing campaigns may have killed anywhere from 10,000 to 136,000 people.

This level of displacement has never been seen before. Over 8.8 million people were internally displaced by February 2025, and an additional 3.5 million sought refuge in neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, making Sudan the location of the world’s largest internal displacement crisis.

The demographics of this crisis are very troubling: more than half of the displaced people are children, and about 55% of them are women and girls. The majority of the estimated 400,000 individuals who have returned to their homes have done so in areas with no services, infrastructure, or security. Over 90% of educational facilities in conflict zones are non-functional, and nearly 17 million children of school age do not attend. Famine is no longer a looming threat. It is a brutal reality. According to UN OCHA, 25 million Sudanese people would face acute food insecurity by May 2025, with over 750,000 experiencing “catastrophic” levels of hunger.

One of North Darfur’s largest displacement settlements, Zamzam Camp, has reached full famine status. At its height, Médecins Sans Frontières reported that hunger and disease were claiming the lives of one child every two hours in the camp. Similar patterns are also being observed in camps in the Western Nuba Mountains, Abu Shouk, and Al Salam, indicating that the famine is spreading unchecked. The burden of war has caused the healthcare system to collapse.

Zamzam Camp has reached full famine status, with one child dying every two hours at its peak.

According to AP News, early in 2025, nearly 80% of hospitals in conflict-affected areas were non-operational. By May 2025, Sudan had recorded over 59,000 cholera cases and over 1,640 deaths from the disease. Over 7,700 cases were reported in Khartoum state alone in early 2025, with children under the age of five accounting for a significant number of fatalities.

Equally concerning is the disintegration of the vaccination system. Sudan had one of the highest vaccination rates in the region before the war. Over 838,000 children no longer have access to routine vaccines, and the country now ranks among the worst zero-dose regions on the planet. The international response has been appallingly inadequate despite these gloomy facts.

For Sudan’s humanitarian requirements in 2025, the United Nations requested $4.2 billion. In May, less than 10% of that goal had been achieved. Western donor nations that previously actively funded relief efforts have shifted their focus and resources to other conflicts, such as Gaza and Ukraine.

According to Reuters in March 2025, even the $110 million that will be released from UN emergency reserves in March 2025 will barely cover the needs of Sudan and Chad, with only a small portion reaching the most in need. In the meantime, no significant commitments were made at a high-level donor summit held in April 2025 in London with representatives from 17 nations and the African Union. The SAF and RSF didn’t even bother to show up. The global media are also silenced.

Compared to the sustained coverage of other conflicts, Sudan’s war has been pushed to the margins of international consciousness. The systemic atrocities that take place every day are not captured in the sporadic headlines. Despite credible reports of genocide, mass rape, the burning of entire villages, and the starvation of hundreds of thousands of children, the general public around the world is still largely unaware of the scale of the suffering. The Sudanese people’s extraordinary resilience, notwithstanding this gloom, has been remarkable.

Western donor nations have shifted focus to Ukraine and Gaza, leaving Sudan with less than 10% of the required humanitarian funding.

Over 11.5 million people have received life-saving assistance from grassroots networks like the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), which are decentralized, volunteer-led aid organizations. They have filled a critical void left by international actors, providing emergency medical evacuations and securing clean water. The ERRs were recognized for their heroism when they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize at the beginning of 2025.

Nationwide, there has been a rise in gender-based violence, affecting thousands of girls and women. Within a single month, over 68,000 women and girls of reproductive age received services for gender-based violence, according to the UNFPA’s May 2025 report. In 2025, the organization requested $145.7 million for programs related to sexual and reproductive health, but only 27% of that amount has been allocated.

Sudan requires not only sympathy but also action right now. Complete funding is required for the humanitarian response. To get aid to famine-affected areas, it is necessary to negotiate safe corridors. The International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes and genocide requires support from the international community.

Despite systemic atrocities, Sudan’s war has been largely pushed out of global consciousness and media coverage.

Critically, global media must provide this crisis with the necessary visibility. Sudan plays a pivotal role in both morality and global security. This crisis is not just the result of war; it is also the result of neglect. Life in Sudan ought not to be valued less than that in other parts of the world. The option before us is straightforward: either we act immediately or this silence will be regarded as complicity in history. It is no longer an act of ignorance to ignore Sudan; rather, it is an act of indifference.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.