African Union Calls Sudan’s Civil War the “Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World”

Addis Ababa, February 11, 2025 –African Union (AU) officials have described the ongoing civil war in Sudan as the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world,” highlighting its devastating impact on the country’s population, especially children. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has led to widespread displacement and severe food shortages.

According to the AU and the International Rescue Committee, around 12 million people have been displaced by the violence. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chairman of the AU panel on Sudan, emphasized that the war has significantly disrupted access to humanitarian aid and exacerbated hunger, particularly for vulnerable groups.

“Children and women are continually abused, and the elderly and sick lack medical assistance,” Chambas said on Tuesday, adding that the crisis is worsening daily. He further declared, “This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”

In a separate statement, Wilson Almeida Adao, the AU’s senior official for child welfare, reported a sharp rise in malnutrition cases, with hospital admissions increasing by 44 percent in 2024. Over 431,000 children have required treatment for malnutrition. Adao also highlighted grave violations, including attacks on schools and hospitals, forced child soldier recruitment, and obstacles to humanitarian aid access.

The Sudanese army controls the eastern and northern regions of the country, while the RSF dominates most of Darfur, where the UN recently accused the RSF of blocking humanitarian assistance.

For the AU, the path to peace lies in political dialogue among Sudanese factions, with Chambas stating that “only inter-Sudanese political dialogue, not the military option, can end this war.”