1,000 days of war in Sudan: A tragedy and the responsibility of those in power

By Friday, January 9, the war in Sudan had entered its 1,000th day, marking a prolonged human tragedy. Over this bloody period, the numbers have ceased to be mere statistics; they stand as a stark political indictment of the ruling authority and all parties to the conflict. A thousand days of failure, negligence, and evasion of responsibility have turned the state into an open battlefield, plunging the country into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the contemporary world — with no solution in sight and no genuine effort to halt the bloodshed or protect what remains of the homeland.

United Nations estimates and reports from international organisations indicate that more than 150,000 Sudanese have been killed since the outbreak of the war on 15 April 2023, including many civilians who died from direct shelling, hunger, disease, and the collapse of basic services.

These organisations stress that the actual number is likely far higher, given the absence of any effective official documentation system, the lack of transparency, and the abandonment of citizens in combat zones without protection, medical aid, or even official recognition of the scale of the disaster.

The war has produced the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, with more than 11 million internally displaced, while nearly 4 million Sudanese have fled the country. This scene reflects the collapse of the state and the failure of the authorities to fulfill their most basic constitutional duty: protecting citizens.

Millions of displaced people live in dire humanitarian conditions, amid acute shortages of food, water, and services, while the authorities confine themselves to statements rather than real rescue policies, safe corridors, or a national response plan.

The war has thrust Sudan into the epicenter of the world’s worst hunger crisis. More than 30 million people — nearly two-thirds of the population — urgently require humanitarian assistance, including food, healthcare, and shelter, and at least 21 million suffer from severe food insecurity.

Under the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, more than 23 million people in host communities and 8.1 million internally displaced persons are in direct need of assistance. Among them, about 16 million children are living in life-threatening conditions, in addition to more than 3 million refugees in neighboring countries. This makes Sudan the world’s largest country in terms of conflict-driven internal displacement and the epicenter of the highest displacement levels in Africa.

The tragedy deepens as food availability declines: over 24.6 million people face acute food insecurity, including confirmed famine in several areas, with further expansion expected as the conflict continues. This means that nearly half of the population — about 25 million people — are experiencing extreme levels of hunger.

UN reports have confirmed actual famine conditions in parts of Darfur, while humanitarian organisations warn of a widening famine due to the disruption of agriculture, looting of food stocks, and the absence of any responsible economic management — turning hunger into an undeclared weapon of war paid for by civilians.

The health sector has almost completely collapsed, with the majority of hospitals out of service, shortages of medicines and medical staff, the spread of disease, and rising maternal and child mortality rates.

Humanitarian organizations argue that this collapse was not inevitable; it is the direct result of the absence of political decision-making, the failure to protect medical facilities, and their conversion into military targets or barracks — in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

The shift from a food crisis to officially recognized famine in multiple locations is not just a statistic; it reflects the collapse of agricultural production, the destruction of supply chains, and the loss of the capacity to secure basic food.

The war has forced more than 17 million Sudanese children out of school — one of the most dangerous consequences for the country’s future — as schools have been turned into shelters or battlefields, with no official plan to save education.

International reports warn that Sudan stands on the brink of losing an entire generation, threatened by illiteracy, forced recruitment, and exploitation amid the absence of the state and any vision for the future.

Human rights organizations confirm that millions of women and girls face increasing risks of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in displacement areas, amid near-total impunity and the absence of protection and accountability mechanisms.

After one thousand days of war, it is no longer possible to hide behind “the complexities of the conflict” or “exceptional circumstances.” The continuation of fighting, the absence of a political solution, and the collapse of state institutions are all political choices or their direct consequences.

Observers agree that the ruling authority and all warring parties bear full responsibility for this catastrophe due to:

• Failure to protect civilians

• Obstructing political solutions

• Running the economy with a war mentality

• Allowing the country’s resources to be plundered while citizens die of hunger and disease

At the end of 1,000 days of war, Sudan appears as an exhausted state with no institutions, no political horizon, and a people paying the price for a struggle over power that has nothing to do with their interests or future. Experts warn that the continuation of this reality will not only deepen the humanitarian catastrophe, but will also turn Sudan into a regional epicenter of collapse — unless those responsible are held accountable and a political path is imposed that places the lives of Sudanese above the calculations of weapons and authority.