Aysu Bicer
14 February 2025•Update: 14 February 2025
LONDON
The UN high commissioner for refugees on Friday issued a stark warning about the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, emphasizing the urgent need for international attention, media coverage, and increased aid.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Filippo Grandi highlighted the crisis that continues since April 2023 as one of the world’s largest, yet one that remains severely underreported. The civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has plunged the country into chaos.
Grandi expressed frustration over the lack of global awareness regarding Sudan’s deteriorating situation, despite repeated claims that it represents the biggest humanitarian crisis on Earth.
He said that while conflicts in other parts of the world receive significant visibility, Sudan continues to be overlooked.
“I have been in so many meetings on Sudan, and every time, and rightly so, I hear this is the biggest humanitarian catastrophe on Earth. And yet we hear very little about Sudan. I think we need to reflect on that,” Grandi said.
To address this, he stressed the need for greater media access to report on the realities of the conflict, arguing that restrictions on international press coverage are preventing the crisis from receiving the attention it requires.
“If we want to mobilize the resources that we need, we need that visibility that is lacking,” he added.
Grandi echoed sentiments shared by Volker Perthes, former UN envoy to Sudan, emphasizing the necessity of shifting from a military victory mindset to one focused on peace.
He said millions of Sudanese refugees will not return home unless hostilities end, calling on warring factions to agree to a Ramadan-linked ceasefire.
Grandi urged all parties to heed the call for an immediate halt to fighting.
Humanitarian access and regional Impact
Beyond the war-torn country itself, he said, Sudan’s crisis is also taking a devastating toll on its neighbors, particularly Chad and South Sudan, which are struggling to cope with the continued influx of refugees.
“There are three and a half million people that have fled the country, in addition to the millions displaced inside Sudan,” Grandi said, stressing that the fragile neighboring states cannot sustain such pressure without substantial international support.
He warned that a lack of humanitarian aid could trigger secondary migration movements, particularly towards North Africa and Europe.
“If the humanitarian response continues to be very poor inside Sudan and outside, in terms of financial support, please, nobody should be surprised if we start seeing secondary movement of people going to North Africa… and even trying to get to Europe,” Grandi cautioned.
He also commented on the freeze of USAID funds by the new US administration, which has complicated humanitarian efforts. Grandi acknowledged that waivers are being negotiated to ensure that critical aid can still be delivered, particularly for Sudan.
