Sudan’s crisis has drawn urgent international alarm, with ministers warning of the world’s worst humanitarian disaster unfolding across the fractured nation.
Meeting in New York, the African Union, the European Union, and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom described the devastation as unprecedented. They said 30 million people now require aid, while 24 million endure acute hunger threatening survival. Representatives from the United Nations, the Arab League, IGAD and countries including the United States, Canada, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined the gathering.
In a joint statement, the co-chairs urged Sudan’s warring factions to return to direct talks for a permanent cease-fire, vowing new action to support peace. They endorsed an EU-brokered deal to shield critical infrastructure and pressed for urgent measures to protect civilians already trapped by violence.
Foreign meddling was sharply condemned, with calls on all states and armed groups to cease military and financial support in line with UN resolutions. The ministers rejected parallel governing structures, reaffirmed Sudan’s sovereignty, and urged an inclusive transition shaped by the Sudanese people themselves.
They also demanded respect for humanitarian law, stressed compliance with the Jeddah Declaration, and backed accountability through the UN Fact-Finding Mission and the International Criminal Court. Despite these appeals, El-Fasher has remained under siege since May, as General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces wage battles in a city vital to Darfur’s aid lifeline.
The conflict, raging since April 2023, has killed more than 20,000 and displaced 15 million, according to UN and local sources. Yet researchers in the United States warn the true toll may be vastly higher, estimating as many as 130,000 lives lost.
