UN's Nkweta-Salami: Donors, please don't desert Sudan now

Clementine Nkweta-Salami is the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator for Sudan.

Two years since war broke out in Sudan, the country remains gripped by one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises.

More than 12 million people have been displaced within and across Sudan’s borders — the largest displacement crisis on Earth today.

Thirty million people, two thirds of the population, need humanitarian assistance. And the violence is far from over. Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains under siege, and parts of Kordofan are being drawn deeper into the conflict.

About 25 million people — over half the population — are facing acute hunger, with famine conditions identified in displacement sites in North Darfur and the eastern Nuba Mountains. These conditions are expected to worsen in the months ahead without immediate improvements in humanitarian access.

In Zamzam displacement camp, half a million people — mostly women and children — are trapped without food, water or medicine. Their needs are urgent. Their situation is dire.

Civilians under fire, systems in collapse

This war is being waged on civilians, who are not just caught in the crossfire — they are being deliberately targeted. Markets, hospitals, schools, places of worship and displacement camps have all come under fire.

Sexual violence is being used systematically as a weapon of war. More than 12 million women and girls — and an increasing number of men and boys — are at risk of gender-based violence, an 80 per cent increase from the previous year.

Over 17 million children are out of school, creating a generational catastrophe.

Less than 20 per cent of health facilities are still functional in the areas hit hardest by the conflict. Vaccination rates have plummeted. Diseases are spreading. Chronic illnesses are going untreated.

The fabric of society is unravelling. Some people are fleeing; others are returning to towns where services have collapsed, and explosive remnants pose a daily threat.

Aid is flowing - against all odds

And still, the humanitarian community is delivering. Last year, over 15 million people received assistance — despite extraordinary challenges.

This year, we aim to reach 21 million people and have already supported more than 5 million. We are scaling up cash transfers, pushing food deliveries to hard-to-reach areas, and expanding cross-border and crossline operations.

Local partners, including women-led groups and community volunteers, have been the backbone of this response from the start.

Even as we do more, our ability to respond is being choked by insecurity, access constraints, bureaucratic impediments and shrinking funds.

Recent cuts by major donors are forcing us to reduce our funding appeal this year from an initial $4.2 billion – barely 50 cents per person per day. Not because needs have fallen. They haven’t. But resources are falling short.

Some partners have already pulled out. Critical life-saving services risk vanishing.

This is not just Sudan’s crisis. It is destabilizing an entire region. Nearly 4 million people have fled across borders into neighbouring countries already facing humanitarian and economic pressures.

Access, funding and peace urgently needed

We are in a race against time. With the lean season approaching, our response must move faster, deeper, and with far greater support.

We need all sides to ensure sustained, unhindered humanitarian access to people in need. They must also protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian operations, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

We need urgent, flexible and more funding that lets us reach people where they are — including through local responders.

Above all, the fighting must stop. If the violence persists, humanitarian needs will continue to grow. Only a political solution can bring lasting stability and restore dignity to the people of Sudan. Until that becomes a reality, humanitarian assistance remains the sole lifeline for millions.

Don't let hope die

Amid this devastation, we must acknowledge those who have stepped up. Donors, partners and regional actors have contributed critical funds, diplomacy and operational support.

Cross-border and crossline access has improved. Humanitarian teams on the ground — UN agencies, international and local NGOs — have shown extraordinary resolve.

And above all, the Sudanese people themselves have shown immense resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. We are deeply grateful for the support already received. It has saved lives.

But the scale of this crisis demands more.

To the governments, donors and partners who have stood with Sudan: please don’t stop now. Stay the course. Expand support. Let’s not allow fatigue to determine the fate of a nation.

What we do - or fail to do - in the coming months will shape not only Sudan’s future but also the stability of the region.

The Sudanese people have lost homes, loved ones, and livelihoods — but not hope. We must not let that hope die.