Overview

For most of its independent history, the country has faced substantial internal conflict that has weakened its ability to play a leadership role in the region. This includes two of the longest-lasting civil wars on the African continent, and conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile. Under the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became the 54th independent state of Africa.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in an unprecedented humanitarian and protection crisis driven by ongoing conflict, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. More than 9 million people have been displaced internally, making it the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. By 2025, over 30 million people require humanitarian assistance, facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in regions such as Darfur and Kordofan where mass hunger has taken hold. Disease outbreaks and worsening climate shocks are compounding the crisis, while women and girls face heightened risks of conflict-related sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence.

The humanitarian outlook remains extremely dire, with needs continuing to escalate. The most critical conditions are concentrated in South Darfur, Aj Jazirah, Khartoum, and North Darfur, where 11.4 million people require urgent assistance, including 2.3 million facing catastrophic levels of need. Ongoing conflict, economic collapse, rising inflation, and climate-related pressures are driving further displacement, inter-communal violence, and the breakdown of essential services. Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, severe access constraints in active conflict zones and significant funding gaps continue to limit the delivery of life-saving aid, underscoring the urgent need for sustained and scaled-up international response.

Sudan is now a source, destination, and transit country for irregular migration, including refugees and asylum-seekers using the East African North-bound migratory route through Libya to Europe.

The country hosts an estimated 800,000 South Sudanese refugees and 330,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Eritrea, Syria, Ethiopia, CAR, Chad, and Yemen.

Source: World Bank 2025