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Africa: ‘A Crisis in Motion’ – IFRC Sounds Alarm As Sudan’s Humanitarian Needs Escalate

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Africa: ‘A Crisis in Motion’ – IFRC Sounds Alarm As Sudan’s Humanitarian Needs Escalate


Port Sudan/Nairobi/Geneva, 13 April 2026 — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warns that shifting patterns of displacement and return in Sudan create rapidly evolving humanitarian needs across the country.

Three years into the conflict, millions of people are now both fleeing violence and many are returning to devastated communities. In contrast, others continue to be displaced, reshaping humanitarian needs and forcing aid actors to adapt in real time.

Sudan remains the largest displacement crisis in the world, with millions forced from their homes and an estimated 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Yet as needs continue to grow, funding is declining, threatening humanitarian actors’ ability to respond effectively.


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Thierry Balloy, IFRC Head of Delegation in Sudan, said: “The needs are immense and changing every day. Many families, mostly women alone with their children, have fled multiple times over the past three years. Today, we see people returning to areas where basic services no longer exist — no water, no healthcare, no schools. We call on the international community to show solidarity and support the humanitarian response. We cannot leave affected communities in Sudan to face this crisis alone”.

A crisis in motion: displacement and return collide

The conflict has continuously shifted across Sudan, from Khartoum to Darfur and the Kordofan states, driving repeated waves of displacement. At the same time, growing numbers of people are returning home, often to find their homes destroyed and infrastructure and basic services severely diminished or absent.

For many families, the choice is unimaginable: remain displaced with limited support or return to communities where “there is nothing left to go back to”. Despite this, people continue to return, rebuilding their lives from scratch, often without access to water, healthcare, or livelihoods.

Rapidly adapting the response

The IFRC and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) are adjusting their operations to support displaced people, returnees and host communities at the same time. Flexible cash assistance has become essential, enabling families to meet their most urgent needs.

Expanding and maintaining this approach will be critical to meet rapidly evolving needs and prevent further deterioration of living conditions.

Ahmed Altayeb Suliman, Secretary General, Sudan Red Crescent Society (SRCS) said: “Cash assistance allows families to make impossible choices — whether to feed their children, access healthcare, or restart their lives. But the needs are overwhelming. Sudan cannot be forgotten.”

In this context, the IFRC is focusing the response on:

  • Health, water and sanitation: Emergency health services, including mental health, and mobile clinics to reach underserved areas. Water, sanitation and hygiene support to reduce disease risks
  • Cash distribution. A safe, efficient and dignified way to support people in vulnerable situations.
  • Immediate relief, food and water for families facing severe shortages.

As needs evolve, so too must the response.

A regional crisis: spillover across borders

At the same time, growing insecurity, new displacement flows, and access constraints are compounding humanitarian needs across the region. More than 4.5 million people have fled to neighbouring countries. Overcrowding, insecurity, and limited resources are deepening vulnerabilities for both refugees and host communities.