The number of missing person cases recorded by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan has exceeded 11,000, with an increase of over 40% just in the past year. These figures vividly illustrate the human cost of prolonged conflicts.
Movement of frontlines has led to the displacement of over 11 million people, sometimes multiple times. Four million of them have left the country in search of safety abroad.
Destruction of communication networks has caused countless families to lose contact with their loved ones. The uncertainty about their fate creates deep and lasting psychological suffering.
“My children have not forgotten their father,” says Om Omar, a mother of four whose husband disappeared over two years ago. “My son keeps crying and asking me about him. When detainees were released, the children would wait in front of the television hoping to see their father.”
Despite immense challenges, hundreds of families managed to re-establish contact with their relatives in 2025: more than 560,000 phone calls were facilitated by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Sudan, Egypt, South Sudan, and Chad.
Restoring family links is a cornerstone of the joint response led by the ICRC and the Sudanese Red Crescent to one of the world’s most serious but least visible humanitarian emergencies. The ICRC also works to promote knowledge and respect for international humanitarian law in a conflict marked by widespread violations of the laws of war.
In conflict zones in Sudan, between 70 and 80% of health infrastructure is non-operational or severely lacking in resources. Over 70% of the population depends on agriculture and livestock, which are now severely impacted. Combined with loss of assets and forced displacements, these pressures diminish people’s ability to cope and rebuild their lives.
Similarly, although strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law, sexual violence remains among the most devastating and least visible consequences of the conflict. Stigmatization and fear of rejection prevent many victims from reporting incidents, hiding the true extent of the problem and prolonging the suffering of survivors.
At the same time, Sudanese communities are at the forefront of the humanitarian response. Despite significant challenges, people continue to support each other, share resources, and maintain essential community networks, helping to preserve life and dignity in extremely precarious conditions.
This everyday solidarity reflects both the scale of needs and the determination of the most affected individuals, who bear the heaviest consequences, such as the 22 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers who have lost their lives since the start of the war while aiding others.
“The suffering caused by the war has reached unprecedented levels of distress for civilians, notably due to its impact on essential infrastructure such as markets, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and power plants. We see this in the states of Darfur, Kordofan, White Nile, Blue Nile, Khartoum, and the North. At one time or another, the entire country has been affected by indiscriminate attacks,” reports Daniel O’Malley, ICRC head in Sudan.
“It is up to those directly involved in the conflict, as well as those with direct influence, to end hostilities or facilitate their resolution. The cost of inaction today will be unsustainable tomorrow.”
Today, the ICRC has released a humanitarian report focusing on three areas where civilian protection is both urgent and achievable: preserving critical infrastructure that supports essential services; the situation of people separated from their families, missing or detained, as well as the dignified treatment of those who have died; and the prevention and response to sexual violence.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial, and independent organization whose strictly humanitarian mandate stems from the 1949 Geneva Conventions. It assists people affected by armed conflicts or other situations of violence worldwide, working to improve their condition and protect their lives and dignity, often in collaboration with Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
Additional Information:
Adnan Hezam, ICRC Port Sudan, tel.: +249 100 999 477 | +249 900 940 377, email: ahizam@icrc.org
Mateo Jaramillo, ICRC Nairobi, tel.: +254 716 897 265, email: mjaramillo@icrc.org
Jean-Yves Clemenz, ICRC Geneva, tel.: +41 79 251 93 02, email: jclemenzo@icrc.org
