Introduction and Overview
Sudan is facing one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises. Since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), millions of civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Entire neighbourhoods in Khartoum lie in ruins, while vast swathes of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile have been emptied of their populations.

The humanitarian toll is staggering. Families are scattered, schools and hospitals destroyed, and food supplies disrupted. The war has turned daily survival into a struggle, pushing Sudanese citizens into displacement camps or across borders in search of safety.

This article examines the roots of the conflict, the scale of displacement, the conditions faced by civilians, and the urgent need for international action.


Roots of the Conflict
The current war is rooted in Sudan’s turbulent transition following the ouster of Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Power-sharing between the SAF and RSF quickly collapsed into rivalry, as both factions competed for dominance.

The SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), turned Khartoum and other cities into battlefields. What began as a political struggle rapidly escalated into a full-scale civil war, drawing in ethnic militias and leaving civilians caught in the middle.

Historical grievances, including ethnic discrimination and regional marginalisation, further fuel the conflict. For minority groups in Darfur and elsewhere, the war echoes decades of previous violence.


Humanitarian Consequences and Displacement
The war has triggered massive displacement. According to humanitarian agencies, over seven million Sudanese have been uprooted from their homes within a year of fighting. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are crammed into makeshift camps, often lacking food, clean water, or medical care.

Women and children are disproportionately affected, facing heightened risks of sexual violence, trafficking, and exploitation. Schools have been turned into shelters, depriving children of education. The collapse of healthcare systems leaves the sick and wounded without treatment, deepening the humanitarian emergency.

Cross-border displacement has also surged. Neighbouring countries, including Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, host hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees, straining their already limited resources.


Regional and International Implications
Sudan’s displacement crisis has destabilising effects beyond its borders. Refugee flows place pressure on neighbouring countries, risking tensions over resources. Armed groups move across porous borders, threatening to spread violence.

International humanitarian agencies face immense challenges in delivering aid due to insecurity, bureaucratic restrictions, and deliberate obstruction by warring parties. Meanwhile, global attention is divided by other crises, leaving Sudan underfunded and neglected.

The displacement also fuels brain drain. Professionals such as doctors, teachers, and engineers are among those fleeing, weakening Sudan’s already fragile institutions and undermining prospects for recovery.


Accountability, Protection, and Conclusion
The displacement of millions in Sudan is not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also a crisis of accountability. Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of committing war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling, sexual violence, and the targeting of civilians. Yet impunity persists.

Key steps are urgently needed:
- Humanitarian access: ensure aid delivery to displaced populations.
- Civilian protection: establish safe corridors and monitor abuses.
- Accountability: investigate atrocities and hold perpetrators to account through international mechanisms.
- Sustainable peace: prioritise inclusive negotiations that address Sudan’s ethnic and regional inequalities.

Until peace is achieved, millions of Sudanese will remain displaced, their lives on hold and their futures uncertain. The resilience of those who endure displacement highlights the urgent need for global solidarity to end the suffering and rebuild Sudan.