The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says Sudan will require $4.2 billion in 2025 to support nearly 21 million people amid a worsening crisis. Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division, told the UN on Monday that more than 11.5 million people are currently internally displaced in Sudan, with nearly 8.8 million displaced since April 2023.
Wosornu noted that the ongoing conflict has escalated in recent months, particularly in December, with fighting intensifying in multiple regions. He highlighted the dire situation in the Zamzam displacement camp, where civilians have been killed or injured by artillery shelling, and reports indicate that those attempting to leave the camp are being blocked. On December 19, three World Food Programme colleagues were killed in an airstrike on their compound in Yabus, located in the Blue Nile State.
According to Wosornu, the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan will require a record $4.2 billion to provide aid to those affected by the crisis.
Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stressed that conflict and forced displacement remain the primary drivers of the crisis. She added that restricted humanitarian access has further exacerbated the situation.
“Sustained violence and economic turmoil have disrupted markets, displaced 11.5 million people, making it the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, and driven prices of staple goods to unaffordable levels,” Bechdol said.
In response to questions about the incoming U.S. administration, Sudan’s Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed expressed confidence in engaging with President-elect Trump’s administration, saying, “President Trump is a deal maker. We will be ready to strike a deal with him—we are not coming empty-handed. We have our blueprint to engage with the U.S. at all times.”