On April 15, 2023, Khartoum became the site of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after disputes on the integration of the RSF into the SAF.

According to Human Rights Watch, both forces have “repeatedly used heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas”, leading to numerous civilian casualties. In a March 15th report, ACLED has recorded over 14,790 deaths in Sudan. ACLED has also documented an 89 percent increase in violence against civilians from Feb. 10 to Mar. 8.

Investigations by Reuters, have shown that ethnically targeted attacks against Masalit people in West Darfur are systematically carried out by RSF and allied militias. In West Darfur’s El Geneina, Al Ghabat cemetery turned into a mass grave for at least 1000 residents over the course of seven weeks. The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, has stated that both SAF and RSF are committing war crimes in Darfur. “...many Darfuris fear, that their plight, the situation in Darfur, will be the forgotten atrocity,” Khan said, appearing before the United Nations Security Council on Jan. 30.

Displacement According to a Feb. 23 report by the UN’s Humanitarian Affairs Office, around 8.1 million people were forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict. This number continues to increase, with internally displaced persons increasing by about 53,500 people just over the week before the report was published.

Cholera outbreak Amidst declining healthcare, a cholera outbreak has also been reported in the country. Around 70 to 80 percent of Sudan’s health facilities are non-functional due to the conflict. As of Mar.20, 10,985 suspected cases and 305 associated deaths reported by the Federal Ministry of Health to the World Health Organization.

Food insecurity Based on a joint February update by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), harvests are expected to be significantly below average in greater Darfur and greater Kordofan, significantly affecting national food availability as the two states account for over 80 and about 40 percent of the total national production of sorghum and millet, respectively. With a resulting rise in staple grain prices, this would make people even more reliant on humanitarian aid. Average costs of local food has been 88 percent higher compared to before the conflict, with nine in 10 people across Sudan facing emergency levels of hunger according to the WFP.

With 24.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, the UN estimates a required 2.7 billion dollars in funding. They have instead received 135.7 million dollars, five percent of the original estimate.