Aid agencies urge UK government to confront ‘world’s biggest humanitarian catastrophe’ in Sudan

As three years pass since the civil war in Sudan began on 15 April 2023, aid agencies warn that the country is suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Aid agencies warn that more than 11 million Sudanese people have been displaced, 40 per cent of the population faces food insecurity and millions of children are acutely malnourished.

The #KeepEyesOnSudan coalition has urged the UK government to take urgent essential action to avert catastrophe by pushing for a ceasefire, securing humanitarian access and increasing life-saving aid funding.

The coalition includes Cafod, Christian Aid, Action Against Hunger, Age International, CARE International UK, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief UK, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund, Oxfam and World Vision.

The aid agencies have delivered a petition with more than 44,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street, demanding that the government urgently scales up its diplomatic efforts to protect civilians and support a regional response to the crisis. 

Anneliese Dodds MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sudan and South Sudan said, “This situation has gone beyond catastrophe, and the people of Sudan can’t wait any longer. 

“The UK Government must use its position as United Nations Security Council penholder to show the leadership this crisis demands. That means acting now to protect civilians and ensure aid reaches those in desperate need.” 

Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille, from the Diocese of El Obeid in Sudan, said in a letter to mark the third anniversary of the conflict: “What began as a political and military struggle has grown into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

“Millions have been displaced. Communities once living side by side in peace now face hunger, fear, and uncertainty. Essential services such as schools, health facilities, and markets have been crippled. The rich social fabric of Sudan – woven from culture, faith, and diversity – has been deeply wounded.

“Peace in Sudan will not come through weapons or foreign interests, but through a deliberate, inclusive, and just process rooted in the dignity of every Sudanese person.”

Abdiladif Mohamed, country director of Save the Children Sudan, said, “For three years, children in Sudan have endured the unimaginable – and they need more than empathy. They need action.

“They deserve protection, access to healthcare and nutrition, and the chance to learn again. We urge the international community to stand with them, to demand safe humanitarian access and invest in the essential services that keep children alive, learning, and hopeful.”  

Eva Khair from Women4Sudan Campaign, a transnational Sudanese civil society initiative for justice and peace, said, “Three years on, what we are hearing from colleagues and communities inside Sudan is not only of hunger, but of deliberate deprivation, where access to food, water and aid is being systematically obstructed.

“Women and girls are bearing the brunt, navigating starvation alongside extreme violence, yet still holding families and communities together against unimaginable odds.  

 “The Women4Sudan campaign stands in solidarity with Sudan’s peoples and calls for urgent action on humanitarian access to all active groups and agencies, protection of civilians from hunger, starvation and violence and a swift end to this very much man-made catastrophe.”  

Christine Allen, director of Cafod, also expressed concern at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s revelation on 9 April that UK aid spending had declined by £1 billion in 2025, warning that the UK “is failing in its manifesto pledge to ‘turn the page to rebuild Britain’s reputation on international development’.

“UK aid cuts will soon be more severe than any other G7 country including the US, leaving our global standing in tatters. The world is plagued with conflict, famine and destruction, and turning our backs on the most vulnerable is not only short-sighted, it is morally wrong.

“We urge the UK government to stem the tide on these devastating cuts and ensure that the overseas aid budget is not diverted to domestic matters.”

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