Denise Brown, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, has issued a stark warning about the ongoing crisis, calling it an 'abandoned crisis' rather than a 'forgotten one'. Speaking from Khartoum, she highlighted a pattern of repeated suffering and abuses.
Reports indicate widespread rape and gang rape, particularly in Darfur, where nearly 2,500 survivors of sexual violence were treated in the past year. The impact extends to families, communities, and children born from these assaults. Mass killings have also occurred around El Fasher, with verified reports of 6,000 deaths in just three days.
Brown urged greater global efforts to prevent atrocities and called for attention to the drivers of the war, including weapon flows and the war economy. She emphasized that humanitarian aid workers are not a solution to the conflict.
Areas of grave concern include Dilling in South Kordofan, where access is now blocked after convoys were initially permitted, and civilians face daily bombardment with no safe passage. Blue Nile state is also seeing significant displacement, with nearly 30,000 people uprooted recently.
Despite these challenges, local communities are resisting hate speech and supporting grassroots peace efforts.
However, the humanitarian funding appeal remains critically underfunded. For 2025, the response plan was only 35% funded, and the 2026 appeal for $2.8 billion is currently just 16% funded. Brown stressed the urgent need for solutions and adequate funding to meet the essential needs of the Sudanese people.