Three years of war in Sudan: famine takes hold as the world's largest humanitarian crisis enters its fourth year
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Key Facts:- Sudan's humanitarian crisis has become the world's largest and most neglected, with famine in Darfur and Kordofan and 4.2 million children suffering from acute malnutrition
- 33.7 million people (two-thirds of Sudan's population) need urgent aid, with 14 million displaced and the UN's $2.9 billion appeal only 16% funded
- Over 500 civilians were killed in drone strikes between January and mid-March 2026, whilst 37% of health facilities are non-functional
- 10.5 million children haven't attended school in three years, and 800,000 children are severely malnourished
- World Vision has reached 3.2 million people in Sudan and 5 million across the region with food, water, nutrition support and health services
For queries and media requests, please contact:
Domi Gonzales at [email protected] or 0413 788 380.
Oliver White at [email protected] or 0406 328 641.
Today marks three years since war erupted in Sudan, and World Vision is warning that the world’s largest humanitarian emergency has also become its most neglected – with famine confirmed in parts of Darfur and Kordofan, 4.2 million children acutely malnourished, and a generation of Sudanese children now entering their fourth year out of school.
More than 33.7 million people, two-thirds of Sudan’s population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. Nearly 14 million have been uprooted from their homes, including 4.5 million who have fled across borders into Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond. The UN’s 2026 appeal for Sudan stands at US$2.9 billion and is just 16 per cent funded.
The conflict is also evolving in ways that are making it deadlier for civilians. Between January and mid-March this year, more than 500 civilians were killed in drone strikes alone. Thirty-seven per cent of health facilities are no longer functioning, leaving millions exposed to disease outbreaks with nowhere to turn.
World Vision Australia CEO Grant Bayldon said the third anniversary was not a milestone for us to mark but a failure for us to confront. “Sudan has become the most dangerous place in the world to be a child, and it has happened in near silence,” Mr Bayldon said.
“10.5 million Sudanese children have not set foot in a classroom in three years. 800,000 are so severely wasted that without specialist therapeutic feeding they will not survive. Famine is no longer a distant warning. It is confirmed, on the ground, in Darfur and Kordofan.
“This is the world’s biggest humanitarian emergency and it is 16 per cent funded. Australia and other donors with the means to act still have a window to prevent mass death from hunger and preventable disease, but that window is closing fast.”
World Vision has reached 3.2 million people inside Sudan and more than five million across the wider region through its cross-border Sudan Crisis and Migration Emergency response (SCRAMER), providing food, clean water, nutrition support, child protection and emergency health services.
Simon Mane, World Vision’s Sudan National Director, said the situation on the ground was deteriorating by the day.
“Families are making impossible choices every hour – whether to flee, whether to eat, whether to send a child out to fetch water through a conflict zone,” Mr Mane said. “What they need is a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and donors willing to match the scale of their response to the scale of the suffering.”
World Vision is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law, unrestricted humanitarian corridors, and a dramatic scale-up in donor funding before the 2026 appeal window closes.
Three years on, the people of Sudan have not been forgotten by Australians, and World Vision is asking supporters to keep showing up. Australian donors and supporters have reached millions of children and families inside Sudan and across the region with food, clean water, protection and care. That generosity has saved lives, and it is needed now more than ever.
To find out more about World Vision’s Sudan Crisis Response, visit worldvision.com.au.
Notes to Editors:
- 15 April 2026 marks three years since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
- All figures are drawn from the UNOCHA 2026 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, accessible here.
- World Vision’s SCRAMER (Sudan Crisis and Migration Emergency Response) operates across Sudan, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda, and reached more than five million people in 2025.
About us:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision and their partners are working in communities to improve families’ economic prospects, strengthen violence prevention and child protection services, and improve education systems. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Contact details:
Domi Gonzales | [email protected] | 0413 788 380.
Oliver White | [email protected] | 0406 328 641.