Around 35 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance as the country faces what aid officials describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
A France 24 report published on Aug. 4 included an interview with Dirk Sigar, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ special envoy for Sudan.
Sigar described Sudan’s emergency as one of the defining crises of the 21st century, despite receiving comparatively limited international attention.
He said the conflict should not be viewed solely through shifting front lines or military developments, but as part of a broader collapse affecting Sudanese society, the economy and state institutions.
The war has severely weakened public services, displaced entire communities and accelerated the spread of disease, according to the report.
Humanitarian needs now extend far beyond areas of active fighting, with the effects of the conflict increasingly shaping everyday life and placing further pressure on already fragile public systems.
The report portrayed Sudan not only as a country at war, but as one experiencing a deepening social, economic and institutional breakdown.
Sigar said the scale of humanitarian need must be understood within the context of this wider deterioration, as tens of millions of people struggle to obtain food, healthcare, shelter and other essential assistance.
