Aid teams in Sudan say the country's suffering is plain for all to see, as a brutal war between rival military forces continues to deepen the hardship of civilians. The conflict erupted in April 2023 between former allies turned rival military forces.

A staggering 15.4 million people urgently require shelter across the country, according to UN agencies working on the response.

Supplies running out

Speaking from Khartoum, Mohamed Refaat, Chief of Mission in Sudan for the UN migration agency IOM, described the strain on relief operations.

"Just yesterday, we had 16 trucks arriving in Darfur, but they were just the last that we had in our stocks. We are facing serious problems. Our supplies are running out," he said.

Refaat noted that aid access to vulnerable displaced and returning people is better than it was, meaning that “we can reach more people.” But he added: “This means also that we can listen to the stories of their suffering…We cannot say that we don't know.”

He also said that this year he was able to distribute more than 40,000 tonnes of relief assistance, but that “our warehouses are completely empty now.”

'More than just a shelter'

Shifting front lines continue to force more families to flee their homes, leaving many without anywhere safe to sleep or even a blanket to stay warm, said Abubakarr Jalloh, UNHCR's Deputy Representative in Sudan, speaking via video from Khartoum.

"For a woman who has lost everything, a tent is more than just a shelter; it means the difference between sleeping in the open, surrounded by strangers and having a space of her own. It means dignity. It is privacy. And it is safety for that woman and family," Jalloh said.

For people displaced by conflict, “a solar lamp is more than just a source of light, it is safety,” he continued.

"It means a woman can reach a latrine at night without walking in darkness. A kitchen set is also more than a collection of household items. It means a mother can cook for children, without exposing herself to the unnecessary risk."

Funding shortfall limits reach

In a joint statement issued on Friday, UNHCR and IOM stressed that humanitarian agencies can only assist around one in 10 of those in need because of funding shortages.

Three in four internally displaced people in Sudan are women and children, Jalloh said. He added that El Niño-related weather conditions have made people more vulnerable because of significantly below-average rainfall across Sudan this year.

That has affected harvests in Darfur, Kordofan and other areas already devastated by ongoing fighting. Although food prices would normally ease after the harvest season, prices remain “painfully high,” the UNHCR official said.

"For a family that has lost everything, every Sudanese pound spent on food is money that cannot be spent on a blanket or on materials needed for safe shelter," Jalloh stressed.

Emergency stocks exhausted

With emergency supplies reaching critically low levels, the UN agencies warned that unless flexible funding is urgently provided, more families will face the coming winter months unprotected from harsh weather conditions, insecurity and the risks of violence and exploitation.

Displacement and a refugee exodus

More than 5.2 million people have returned to their areas of origin, but many are unable to go back to their homes, as countless numbers have been destroyed or looted.

Healthcare, electricity and water services are also largely unavailable in many locations, meaning that people might be forced to leave again, “without any hope of returning.”

Refaat also highlighted that Sudanese nationals now constitute the largest nationality arriving in Europe via the so-called Eastern Mediterranean route. "If we are not able to provide aid in Sudan at scale, it means neighbouring countries will be impacted, other countries will be impacted," he said.

Underfunded response plan

Despite facing what the agencies describe as the world's largest displacement crisis, Sudan's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan remains severely underfunded. Only 47 per cent of the required $2.9 billion has been received so far.

Refaat said millions of Sudanese families have already lost so much: “We cannot undo what they have endured, but we can make sure that they have a safe place to sleep tonight.”