Starvation, mass killings and sexual violence: No end in sight for the civil war in Sudan

By Tess Terrible,

Published December 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST

Sudanese refugees from Zamzam camp outside of El Fasher, in Darfur, receive food at an Emergency Response Room Communal Kitchen while being relocated to the Iridimi transit camp near the Sudan-Chad border in Tine, in eastern Chad, on May 4, 2025. More than 400,000 people fled Zamzam after the RSF attacked the camp, killing dozens of civilians and setting homes and humanitarian offices on fire. Sudan has been plagued by a brutal civil war for over two years, with ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF militia fighting for power. Because of ongoing budget cuts, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees does not have the budget to shelter and feed new refugees the way it has traditionally done; as a result, women, children, and vulnerable are sitting under the hot 100+ degree sun all day, with no shelters and little food.

Like many humanitarian crises, the situation in Sudan is complicated. The nation has a long history of violence, war and genocide. Several militia groups, factions and tribes have contributed to the devastation.

The region is facing mass starvation. Millions of people have been displaced and impacted by famine. Mass killings and sexual violence have become all too common in this region.

Today, we hear what humanitarian aid organizations are doing to provide support to this region.

GUESTS:

Arjan Hehenkamp: Crisis Lead for Sudan with the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organization
Janti Soeripto: President & CEO of Save the Children, an international NGO and humanitarian aid organization based in Connecticut

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