Sudan: No respite for civilians amid unrelenting war and aid access barriers

As Sudan’s civil war grinds on, millions of civilians remain trapped in a relentless cycle of displacement, hunger and violence, while relief efforts are stifled by insecurity and bureaucratic hurdles.

Into its third year, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, devastating infrastructure and essential services across the country.

Nearly 12.5 million people have been forced from their homes, including over 3.3 million who have fled across borders in search of safety.

First supply in months

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday that the World Food Programme (WFP) had managed to re-enter greater Khartoum, with teams now coordinating to scale up life-saving assistance to nearly one million people over the coming weeks.

“Our colleagues also tell us that a convoy with 14 trucks carrying over 280 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies has arrived in Jabal Awlia, which is south of Khartoum, and that arrival took place this morning,” he told journalists during a briefing in New York.

Jabal Awlia is among the regions at high risk of famine and had not received any aid since December.

“The convoy is just one of many planned aid deliveries into the greater Khartoum metropolitan area over the coming weeks,” Mr. Dujarric added.

Deliveries in North Darfur

Meanwhile in North Darfur, UN partners delivered 1,700 metric tonnes of emergency food to Tawila, and a local group has begun trucking clean water to 10,000 people recently displaced to El Fasher, the regional capital.

These efforts come as host communities strain under the weight of new arrivals fleeing intensifying fighting. Many have escaped near-daily shelling and siege conditions in Zamzam camp, or violence in other parts of Darfur.

Active fighting in and near El Fasher and Zamzam camp have also disrupted fuel supplies, halting water supply, and leaving only solar-powered boreholes operational.

Access obstacles persist

Despite recent breakthroughs, humanitarian operations across the country remain severely constrained.

“Sudan is one of those countries where we are facing bureaucratic obstacles to be able to deliver aid,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting a sharp drop in visa approvals for humanitarian personnel.

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According to a survey of UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), only 23 visas – about 16 per cent of the total 145 visa applications – were issued at the end of March 2025, a sharp decrease from previous months.

Access in the capital, Khartoum – where the Sudanese army regained control last month – remains limited, with roads, bridges, and healthcare facilities severely damaged by the fighting.

Aid offices looted

Insecurity and criminality further hinder relief efforts.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), national aid organisation offices and warehouses have been looted, their staff kidnapped, and vehicles carjacked by armed groups.

A local doctor was abducted in East Darfur with a ransom demand of $25,000, and an INGO staff member was detained by RSF forces in Zalingei for over two weeks.

The United Nations has reiterated its call on all warring parties to immediately halt hostilities, respect international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians.

“All this aid is crucial to help the vulnerable communities,” Mr. Dujarric said, emphasising the urgent need for safe and unhindered humanitarian access.