The number of missing persons cases recorded by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan has exceeded 11,000 cases, with an increase of over 40% just in the past year. Such figures strikingly illustrate the human cost of prolonged conflicts.
The movement of front lines has led to the displacement of more than 11 million people, sometimes multiple times. Four million of them have left the country in search of safety abroad.
Due to the destruction of multiple communication networks, countless families have lost contact with their loved ones. The uncertainty about their fate creates deep and lasting psychological suffering.
“My children have not forgotten their father,” says Om Omar, a mother of four children whose husband disappeared over two years ago. “My son keeps crying and asking me about him. When detainees were released, the children would wait in front of the television hoping to see their father.”
The family explains that they carefully search through lists of missing and detained persons shared on social media. “We hope to receive good news about him and find out where he is, whether he is detained or not. We hope someone can tell us where he is.”
Despite immense challenges, hundreds of families managed to reestablish contact with their relatives in 2025: over 560,000 phone calls were facilitated by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Sudan, as well as in Egypt, South Sudan, and Chad.
The reconnection of family ties is one of the pillars of the joint response led by the ICRC and the Sudanese Red Crescent to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies – yet one of the least visible. The ICRC also works to promote knowledge and respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) in a conflict marked by widespread violation of the rules of war.
In conflict zones in Sudan, 70 to 80% of health infrastructures are non-operational or severely lacking in resources. Over 70% of the population depends on agriculture and livestock, which are now severely affected. Combined with the loss of their belongings and repeated displacements, these pressures diminish people’s ability to cope with the situation and rebuild their lives.
Similarly, although strictly prohibited by IHL, sexual violence remains among the most devastating and least visible consequences of the conflict. Stigma and fear of rejection prevent many victims from reporting incidents, concealing the extent of the phenomenon and prolonging the suffering of survivors.
At the same time, Sudanese communities are at the forefront of the humanitarian response. Despite considerable challenges, people continue to support each other, share resources, and maintain essential community networks, thus contributing to preserving life and dignity in extremely precarious conditions.
This everyday solidarity reflects both the extent of the needs and the determination of the most affected individuals, who bear the heaviest consequences. For example, the 22 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers who lost their lives since the start of the war while providing assistance to others.
“The suffering caused by the war has reached unprecedented levels of distress for civilians, especially due to its impact on essential infrastructure such as markets, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and power plants. We see it in the states of Darfur, Kordofan, White Nile, Blue Nile, Khartoum, and the North,” reports Daniel O’Malley, the ICRC’s head in Sudan.
“Those directly involved in the conflict, as well as those exerting direct influence, must either end the hostilities or facilitate their resolution. The cost of inaction today will be unbearable tomorrow.”
Today, the ICRC has released a humanitarian report that focuses on three areas where the protection of civilians is both urgent and achievable: preserving critical infrastructure that ensures essential services, the situation of people separated from their families, missing or detained, and the dignified treatment of those who have died, and the prevention and response to sexual violence.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial, and independent organization whose strictly humanitarian mandate stems from the 1949 Geneva Conventions. It provides assistance to people affected by armed conflict or other situations of violence worldwide, striving to improve their situation and protect their lives and dignity, often in collaboration with Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
Additional Information:
Adnan Hezam, ICRC Port-Sudan, Tel: +249 100 999 477 | +249 900 940 377, Email: ahizam@icrc.org
Mateo Jaramillo, ICRC Nairobi, Tel: +254 716 897 265, Email: mjaramillo@icrc.org
Jean-Yves Clément, ICRC Geneva, Tel: +41 79 251 93 02, Email: jclemenzo@icrc.org
