Three years of conflict in Sudan – Bond statement

Today, Wednesday 15 April, marks three years since the start of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.  

Three years on, over 33 million people – two-thirds of the population – are in need of humanitarian assistance: the highest number of people globally, with women and girls, children, older people, and people with disabilities most at risk. Famine has been confirmed across multiple areas, and an estimated 40% of the population are facing acute food insecurity.

The conflict has also forced an estimated 14 million people – a quarter of the population – to flee, both within Sudan and across borders to countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt. 

The UN warns that major shortfalls in funding are causing “a sharp reduction in life-saving assistance” to communities most in need in Sudan and neighbouring countries.  

Gideon Rabinowitz, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said: 

“Three years into the conflict in Sudan, the humanitarian crisis is deepening with no end to the fighting in sight. 

The UK has shown leadership in drawing much-needed political attention to the crisis in Sudan, including through co-hosting the London Sudan Conference last year, and using its UN Security Council penholder role to push for civilian protection. However, as the world’s attention on Sudan wanes, and international aid cuts place increasing pressure on humanitarian operations in Africa, the UK government’s support is essential to prevent the crisis deepening even further. 

While we welcome the protection of allocations to Sudan in the UK aid budget, we know that cuts to bilateral funding to Africa will impact neighbouring countries, including South Sudan which hosts almost half a million Sudanese refugees.

We urge the UK government to protect Sudan’s priority status with predictable, multi-year funding – and to use its diplomatic weight to continue pushing for sustained high-level political attention to the crisis.” 

ENDS.  

Notes to Editors 

1. Allocations of the UK ODA budget for 2026/27-2028/29 can be found here. The government’s Equality Impact Assessment of the 2026/27-2028/29 allocations highlights that expected cuts will leave fewer girls and children with disabilities able to go to school in South Sudan. 

2. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of over 330 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.  

3. For further information or interviews, please get in touch with Emily Loynes at [email protected] or 07909947850.