NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 15 — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued a dire warning about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, warning of further instability if the situation remains unattended.
“Sudan is bleeding,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, declared in a statement released Monday, marking two years since the onset of a brutal conflict that has left millions displaced, starving, and without access to basic services.
“Its people have been suffering for too long.”
Describing the conflict as the world’s “worst humanitarian and displacement crisis,” Grandi lamented that international attention and aid have sharply declined, even as violence and need intensify.
“Civilians are being bombed every day. Millions are trapped between conflict, neglect and the dilemma of flight,” he said.
The High Commissioner’s comments come in the wake of brutal new attacks in North Darfur, where aid workers were among the victims — a stark reminder of the dangers facing both civilians and humanitarian responders.
These acts, Grandi stressed, represent “flagrant violations of humanitarian law.”
Having just returned from Chad, which now hosts nearly a million Sudanese refugees, Grandi recounted harrowing testimonies from survivors who fled the violence.
“Despite the pain, they told me they no longer felt in danger,” he noted. “That is the quiet strength of asylum.”
But even safe havens like Chad are under immense strain, he said adding severe funding shortfalls have led to dwindling food and medicine supplies, limited shelter, and stalled relocation efforts for refugees.
“We will struggle to alleviate the suffering,” Grandi warned.
Increased refugee flows
Beyond Sudan’s borders, the impact is spreading. Countries like Egypt, South Sudan, Uganda, and even European destinations are experiencing increased refugee flows.
Egypt alone is hosting 1.5 million Sudanese, while hundreds of thousands have returned to a volatile South Sudan in search of safety.
Grandi emphasized that the crisis is not only humanitarian but deeply destabilizing for the wider region. “The stability of the entire region is threatened,” he said.
“There is not just an urgent need for humanitarian protection, but also for development aid.”
The UNHCR chief called for immediate, coordinated action from the international community — not just to meet urgent humanitarian needs but also to invest in peace and stability.
He warned that ignoring Sudan’s plight will lead to far-reaching consequences, including larger displacement flows and mounting insecurity across Africa and beyond.
“After two years of unrelenting suffering, the world can no longer afford to ignore this emergency,” Grandi concluded.
“Continuing to look away will have catastrophic consequences.”
