Crisis in Sudan and Gaza Widening Humanitarian Catastrophe

Sudanese refugees near the border in Adre, Chad. More than 2 million people have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries since April 2023. © UNHCR/Ying Hu

Reporter Two of Africa and the Middle East’s most acute humanitarian crises—Sudan and Gaza—remain desperate focal points for international concern. Both theatres are characterised by intense fighting, mass displacement, and severe shortages of food, medicine, and shelter; recent reporting underscores an accelerating humanitarian toll and the challenge of delivering aid in contested zones.

In Sudan, the conflict that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued to fragment the country. After episodic control of Khartoum and shifting frontlines, recent assessments show that SAF operations have pivoted to other regions, including Kordofan, while airstrikes and ground offensives continue to spark mass displacement and localised famine risks. ACLED and humanitarian updates note ethnic mobilisation in certain regions and a steep increase in civilian casualties and displacement. Humanitarian access remains constrained by security risks and damaged infrastructure, complicating aid delivery.

Gaza remains in a perilous humanitarian state with critical shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. International agencies and press reporting describe blockaded supply routes, severe damage to civilian infrastructure, and a health system operating beyond capacity. The situation has triggered global diplomatic interventions and repeated calls for expanded humanitarian corridors, but access remains contested and intermittent. Reuters and other outlets have highlighted the hunger crisis alongside the destruction of essential services, warning that without sustained and secure relief operations, the civilian toll will rise further.

Both crises share common features: protracted violence that impedes humanitarian corridors, politicised access to assistance, and the growing use of food and essential services as leverage in conflict. These dynamics raise profound protection concerns for civilians and complicate the international community’s ability to respond. In Sudan, the multiplicity of armed actors and shifting alliances produces a complex security environment that hampers UN and NGO operations; in Gaza, the intensity of urban fighting and restrictions on cross-border logistics present similar operational nightmares for relief agencies. Recent field reporting highlights how aid shipments are delayed, diverted, or unable to reach the most vulnerable populations.

The international response—from emergency funding to diplomatic pressure—has been significant but uneven. Donor appeals are chronically under-funded relative to need, and political constraints often shape where and how assistance can be deployed. Humanitarian analysts stress the need for sustained, predictable funding, protected humanitarian access, and durable political solutions that prioritise civilian protection. The long-term prospects for both Sudan and Gaza hinge not only on ceasefire arrangements but on international coordination to rebuild infrastructure, restore services, and address the root political grievances that fuel cycles of violence.