refugee

Sudan: Two years into the conflict, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis now threatens regional stability

April 15, 2025

Upcoming rains and aid cuts could further hamper humanitarian efforts and push millions of people to famine

As Sudan’s conflict enters its third year, massive displacement and fighting are spilling over into neighbouring countries, worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The looming rainy season, combined with aid cuts by the US and other key donors, will severely hamper humanitarian efforts putting millions of lives at risk, a new Oxfam report warned today.

Sudan’s brutal conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 12.7 million people —nearly one-third of the population— have been forced to flee their homes, including 3.7 million to neighbouring countries. One in two Sudanese is hungry. Five areas in the country are already experiencing famine, and nearly eight million more people are at risk of starvation.

The upcoming rains could turn roads to mud, and trigger the collapse of vital bridges, cutting off entire areas and communities from essential aid and services. This period coincides with the annual lean season when food insecurity already peaks.

The Oxfam report –The Unravelling of the World’s Largest Humanitarian Disaster: From the Sahel to the Red Sea – published jointly with humanitarian organisations responding to the Sudan crisis, highlights the staggering human cost of the Sudan conflict. It warns that the crisis is now spilling over neighbouring South Sudan and Chad, where humanitarian needs are already dire.

Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director, said:

“We are already witnessing clashes between armed groups from South Sudan and Sudan. This volatile situation is simmering like a volcano ready to erupt any minute. Unless the fighting stops and the humanitarian crisis is addressed, the situation could quickly turn into a full-blown regional catastrophe.”

Two of the host countries, South Sudan and Chad, are already among the world’s poorest countries. They grapple with ongoing conflict, food insecurity, and climate shocks, leaving them ill-equipped to manage the crisis.

In South Sudan, the arrival of people fleeing Sudan’s conflict has put more pressure on already scarce resources, which is deepening local tensions and threatening the fragile peace South Sudan has struggled to maintain.

Nadia, a mother of five-year-old son Ismail who fled and is now sheltering in Renk, South Sudan, after soldiers killed her husband and two children says: “The war took everything. We left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Here, we are safe from bullets, but there is no food, we are dying of hunger.”

The report also found that 17 million children in Sudan are out of school, while 65 percent of refugee children in Chad lack access to education — heightening risks of child labour, marriage, trafficking, and recruitment by armed groups.

For the first time in the history of modern humanitarian response, a single country –Sudan – reaches over 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Yet, despite the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis, international support is falling severely short. Only 10 percent of this year’s UN appeal for Sudan has been met to date.

The recent suspension of approximately $64 million USAID funding for Chad and South Sudan in 2025 has also dealt a severe blow to lifesaving efforts. In 2024, the U.S. was the largest donor to both countries.

“Turning a blind eye to this crisis would not only be a profound political and moral failure, but a failure of our core humanity. Without immediate injection of funds, millions of people will simply die of starvation or disease,” added N’Zi-Hassane.

The report urges all warring parties to halt fighting and prioritize diplomacy, in order to forge an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

Note to editors

Read “The Unravelling of the World’s Largest Humanitarian Disaster: From the Sahel to the Red Sea”. The report is jointly endorsed by Sudan and South Sudan Forum, Inter Agency Working group (IAWG) for East and central Africa and Forum des ONG en Afrique de l’Ouest et centrale (FONGI)
Oxfam is supporting 150,000 people fleeing the conflict to Renk, South Sudan, and has reached 94,562 refugees in the Eastern part of Chad with lifesaving clean water, hygiene facilities and cash.
Sudan currently accounts for 1 in 8 internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide and 1 in 13 refugees globally, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Sudan war has left 4.8 million people across neighbouring countries (Egypt, Libya, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia and Uganda) in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. This is up from 1.8 million in mid-2023, more than the double.
Despite funding needs, only a third of the Regional Refugee Response Plan was met last year.
In South Sudan, the number of people needing assistance has more than doubled over the past decade—from 4.1 million in 2015 to 9 million in 2025 while in Chad, one in three people – about 7 million people need assistance in 2025.
The UN appeal for Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2025 was US$ 434.5 million. Only 10 percent of this amount has been funded according to the UNOCHA Financial Tracking Service portal.
Approximately $64 million USAID funding for Chad and South Sudan in 2025 has been cut. Source: The Center for Global Development.
In December 2024, the Famine Review Committee (FRC) classified a Famine (IPC Phase 5) in five areas in Sudan: Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps in Al Fasher locality and in the Western Nuba Mountains. It also projected that Famine would expand to five additional areas by May 2025.

CONTACT

Spokespeople are available for interviews. For more information, contact:

Rachel Schaevitz at [email protected]

Ukraine : NGOs urge warring parties to protect civilians

July 9, 2024

Oxfam strongly condemns the attack on the children’s hospital in Kyiv

Oxfam, CARE, Humanity & Inclusion, and We World, strongly denounce the harm caused to civilians by bombing and shelling of towns and cities in the ongoing war in Ukraine. We condemn all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. This includes violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and feasible precautions, the use of indiscriminate attacks, the use of internationally prohibited weapons, such as landmines and cluster munitions, the attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including health facilities and other critical civilian infrastructure, and attacks against medical and humanitarian workers.

Since the beginning of the year at least 860 civilians have been killed and 2,580 wounded in Ukraine in at least over 950 incidents involving the use of explosive weapons with wide area effect in populated areas.

The month of May has registered the highest record of civilian casualties since June 2023 and a significant increase in civilian deaths compared to April 2024. This increase is mainly due to the ground offensive launched by the Russian Federation in the Kharkiv region. More than half of the civilians killed or wounded were in the Kharkiv region, while the vast majority of civilian casualties were in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government.

While the ground offensive launched by the Russian Federation has severe consequences for civilians, they have overall been particularly exposed to the use of explosive weapons since the escalation of the war in February 2022.

The year 2024 continues to see significant damage inflicted on civilians in the conduct of the war.

The bombing and shelling of Ukrainian towns and villages is directly affecting the civilian population, who face a high risk of death, war-related injuries and psychological trauma, resulting in increased needs for rehabilitation, psychological and psychosocial support and other services. The new offensive by the armed forces of the Russian Federation is leading to an upsurge in bombardments in populated areas, with devastating consequences and reverberating effects for civilians in terms of access to essential services, health, food and energy supplies.

We call upon governments to urgently endorse and implement the Political Declaration on strengthening the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

SIGNATORIES:

CARE
Humanity & Inclusion
Oxfam
We World

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Notes to editor:

We choose to highlight 22 significant incidents, based on the reports of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, along with 5 last significant incidents that occurred in June 2024, involving the use of explosive weapons with wide area effect in populated areas that have resulted in the death or injury of civilians.

January 2024

On 2, 8 and 23 January, missile and loitering munitions attacks struck several cities and towns, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing at least 26 civilians and injuring 190.
On 6 January, a missile strike in Pokrovsk and Rivne, Donetsk region, killed members of two families and injured another 10 civilians. Two boys are still considered missing.
On 21 January, shelling hit two markets and a residential area in the city of Donetsk, killing 24 civilians (15 women and 9 men) and injuring at least 11 civilians.

February 2024

On 3 February, an attack struck a bakery and a café in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, which reportedly resulted in 29 people killed and 9 injured. At least 13 individuals among those killed and injured were civilians.
On 9 February, seven civilians were killed, including two men, two women and three young boys, when loitering munitions struck a fuel station in a residential area of Kharkiv, starting a fire that burned at least 15 residential homes to the ground.
On 14 February, a central hospital in Selydove, Donetsk region, was struck, resulting in two women and a 9-year-old boy killed and at least two women, one man and one boy injured.
On 20 February, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) attack killed an entire family in their home in Nova Sloboda, Sumy region.

March 2024

On 2 March, 11 civilians were killed and 8 civilians injured in Odesa from a loitering munitions attack. Three families lost at least two family members in this attack. This incident was the deadliest for children in more than nine months.
On 12 March, 6 civilians were killed and at least 25 injured when missiles struck Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region.
On 15 March, two consecutive missile strikes within 15 minutes reportedly killed 21 and injured 66 individuals in Odesa. The HRMMU has verified that at least 20 among those killed and injured were civilians, some of whom were emergency and medical workers who came to help the injured after the first attack.

April 2024

On 5 April, 4 civilians were killed and 27 civilians injured in Zaporizhzhia as a result of consecutive missile strikes. Journalists were among the injured.
On 19 April, missiles and loitering munitions struck railway infrastructure and its vicinity in Dnipropetrovsk region, including in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and Synelnykove, killing 8 civilians and injuring 22. One strike killed four members of one family, including two children, leaving an injured 6-year-old boy an orphan.
On 29 April, what appears to have been a cluster munition struck a seafront promenade in Odesa city in the evening hours, killing 7 civilians and injuring dozens, including a 4-year-old girl.

May 2024

On May 19, two consecutive strikes on a lakeside recreation center in Cherkaska Lozova, Kharkiv region, killed 6 civilians and wounded at least 13.
On May 23, missiles hit a printing works in the city of Kharkiv, killing 7 employees and wounding at least 21 civilians.
On May 25, an attack hit a large construction hypermarket in the city of Kharkiv, killing 19 civilians and wounding 54, including many employees.
The same day, a missile hit Kharkiv city center, wounding 25 civilians.
Around midnight on May 30 and 31, several missiles hit a residential area of Kharkiv, including a multi-storey building, killing 9 civilians and wounding at least 15.

June 2024

On June 12, missiles hit a residential area of a densely populated city, Kryviy Rih City in the Dnipro Region, which killed 11 civilians and injured 28 according to local authorities.
On June 17, several missiles hit Poltava oblast wounding 12 civilians according to the head of the oblast military administration.
On June 19, several missiles hit Kharkiv region killing 1 civilian and wounding 6. A woman has been killed after a missile hit a residential area on Vilkhivka, according to the prosecutor’s office of the Kharkiv administrative region.
On June 22, a missile hit a residential building in Kharkiv, killing 3 civilians and wounding 53.
On June 28, a missile rocked a high-rise building in the city of Dnipro, that killed at least 3 and injured 18 civilians.

For more information:

Rachel Schaevitz/ [email protected]

Gaza hunger figures reflect “shameful failure” of global leaders: Oxfam

June 26, 2024

In response to the latest Global Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report published today, which warns that a high risk of famine persists across the Gaza Strip, Oxfam’s Regional Director for the Middle East, Sally Abi Khalil, said:

“The figures in this report are a shameful testament to the failure of world leaders to heed earlier warnings and hold Israel to account for its deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war. The slight improvement of conditions in the north shows that Israel can end human suffering when it chooses – but just as quickly those gains can vanish when access is again constrained, as the report warns it is now.

“Israel’s policy of deliberate deprivation across Gaza has created this unprecedented situation where we are witnessing the world’s highest concentration of people in Al-Mawasi, a so-called humanitarian safe zone, without access to food, water or sanitation.

“Just days ago, we learned that two more babies starved to death in Beit Lahiya. The reported death toll from hunger and thirst – which is likely to be much higher – is now 31. These aren’t just numbers – they embody each grieving mother and every child lost to the most unspeakable fate.

“Not only is there a lack of food, but safe drinking water is now an increasingly rare resource, which is accelerating the spread of disease.

“Each day without a ceasefire, more lives will be lost. The clock is ticking. World leaders must increase pressure on all parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, and on Israel to stop starving Palestinian children to death, by allowing sufficient humanitarian aid to reach them.

“Israel must ensure that movement of aid into and within Gaza, including through checkpoints, is predictable, unfettered and dramatically accelerated, with all roads operational, the entry of sufficient fuel allowed, and access safely facilitated.”

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Note to editor:

Global Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Report –– Gaza Strip: Acute Food Insecurity Situation for 1 May – 15 June and Projection for 16 June – 30 September 2024

Increasing floods and drought displaced 8 million people last year in ten worst-hit countries – over twice that of a decade ago

June 20, 2024

Hunger nearly tripled in five of these countries over the same period.

Water-related disasters forced nearly eight million people out of their homes in 10 of the world’s worst-hit countries last year – a 120% increase compared to a decade ago, said Oxfam today.

On World Refugee Day, Oxfam says that in five of those countries, levels of severe hunger have nearly tripled over the same period.

Somalia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Malaysia topped the list of countries that suffered the largest displacement of people from floods and droughts last year, according to the Global Internal Displacement Database. In those countries, the number of people displaced from their homes soared from 3.5 million in 2013 to 7.9 million in 2023.

Climate change has increased the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts. According to data collated by Oxfam, recorded flood and drought disasters in those ten worst-hit countries have skyrocketed from just 24 in 2013, to 656 last year. Somalia alone was hit by 223 different flood or drought events in 2023 against just two in 2013, for instance. The Philippines was hit 74 times (compared to just three in 2013), Brazil 79 times compared to four, and Malaysia 127 times compared to just once in 2013.

Globally, floods and droughts alone have forced over 10 million people out of their homes just last year – that is nearly the entire population of Portugal.

Oxfam calculated that in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, and Somalia – which are among the least prepared to cope with the impact of climate change – the number of people suffering acute hunger has risen from 14 million in 2013 to over 55 million in 2023.

“Climate injustice is rife. From the scores dying from scorching heat in Bangladesh to the thousands forced to flee floods in Pakistan, it is the most vulnerable people – and those least responsible for the climate crisis – who are bearing the brunt, while rich polluting nations continue to do too little too late to help them,” says Nuzhat Nueary, Oxfam Water Insecurity and Climate Policy Coordinator.

Oxfam Aotearoa’s Head of Partnerships and Humanitarian, Carlos Calderon, adds, “Humanitarian crises are more complex than they have ever been. Humanity is currently living through its highest number of active conflicts since World War II. Women, girls and the elderly are those who face greater risk when they are forced to migrate. Refugees like Myanmar’s Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh. With no foreseeable solution, they remain living in harsh conditions in makeshift camps without adequate access to clean water, income, or basic security. Think to yourself, what would you do in that situation?”

And yet, despite contributing only 0.56% of global carbon emissions, Bangladesh is facing its own crises. Unpredictable cyclones and other water-related disasters have forced more than 1.8 million people to leave their homes in 2023. These disasters have caused severe damage to infrastructure like schools, markets and other essential services.

Asgor Kha and Moriom who live in Lebubunia village of Satkhira, Bangladesh says: “We have lost our homes four times due to cyclones. We are still in debt for having taken a house loan. Our son is our only earning member, but he struggles to find any work in the area.”

Zerin Ahmed, Oxfam’s Senior Program Officer in Bangladesh, said: “With no crops or income families have been forced to move, some multiple times. Those who are left behind live with constant fear about the future, as cycles of consecutive disasters have depleted all their resources, exhausting their last ability to cope.”

In Somalia, continuous temperature rise (1.5°C, up from 1°C in 1991) has resulted in more frequent and prolonged droughts, often followed by flash floods and cyclones. Despite accounting for less than 0.03% of global carbon emissions, the country has suffered billions worth of losses due to recurring floods and droughts. Recovering from the last December floods alone was estimated at $230 million.

The last Deyr rainy season -which followed five consecutive seasons of drought – brought massive flooding, forcing 1.2 million people to flee their homes and killing 118 people. These disasters have compounded the impact of ongoing conflict, political instability, and economic shocks, leaving almost half of Somalia’s population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

“I lost all my animals to the drought. I fled on foot with my children, and it took me three days to get to Baidoa. It was a difficult journey. I had no food or water for my children. Some got sick along the way,” said Hassan Mohamed, a displaced father in Baidoa, Somalia.

“Ending people’s suffering is possible. Rich polluting nations must cut emissions and provide adequate climate finance to countries most impacted by the climate crisis so that they can cope better and rebuild after climate shocks,” added Nueary.

“They must also inject funding into the new loss and damage scheme. It is not a courtesy gesture but an obligation for the damage they have caused. With proper funding, the most impacted nations can develop early warning systems and other measures to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change, and can free up resources to invest in social protection to help people cope.

“Local communities on the frontline of climate response, and vulnerable groups – especially women, youth, and indigenous communities –have already championed solutions, and must be at the heart of climate decisions, funding, and action.”

Notes to editor:

Oxfam ranked the 10 countries with largest water-disasters displacement based on the number of people internally displaced by “floods” and “droughts” during the period (2013-2023) according to the Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD). The total number of people displaced in those 10 countries combined was 3,588,827 in 2013 and 7,909,369 in 2023, which is 120.389% increase. Source: Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD)
The total number of people internally displaced from droughts and floods over the last 10 years (2013-2023) was 115.2 million. Source: GIDD as of 1 June 2024.
According to the Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD) data, out of the total 259.9 million internally displaced due to all types of disasters during the period 2013-2023, 109.9 million people were internally displaced due to floods alone, which is 31% of all disasters fuelled displacement.
Oxfam calculated hunger rates for Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Somalia based on the Acute Food Insecurity Classification (IPC) in 2013, and on 2023 IPC data of the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC). For Ethiopia, data was based on Government of Ethiopia estimates for acute hunger for 2013 , and the GRFC 2024 for 2023.
The ND-GAIN Country Index summarizes a country’s vulnerability to climate change and other global challenges, as well as, its readiness to improve resilience. Somalia, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Pakistan are among the lowest-ranked countries in that index.
The Deyr season in Somalia, is the second, shorter rainy season between October and December) every year.
Somalia’s carbon emissions figures are based on IGAD 15^th Progress Report of the Resilience Project in Somalia.
Somalia’s Loss and Damage data are based on the “Rapid post-disaster needs assessment of Somalia Deyr floods 2023″ report and the World Bank’s “Somalia Drought Impact & Needs Assessment” report.
Since the 1970s, 44% of all disaster events have been flood-related. Source: IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report.
Bangladesh contributes only 0.56 per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions, it ranks the seventh most vulnerable nation to the impacts of climate change. Source: UN Bangladesh Energy Transition and ND Gain Index
In 2023, approximately 1.8 million people were internally displaced in Bangladesh due to floods, cyclones and other storm related events. Source: GIDD as of June 1 2024.

A broken asylum system: one unwilling and unable to welcome Afghan refugees

September 10, 2021

While European leaders express their concern for the safety of people in Afghanistan, little concern is given to those Afghans seeking safety in Europe. A new Greek ministerial decision to stop Afghans, amongst other nationalities, from entering Europe, and dire living conditions in “Moria 2” highlights this lack of concern, as criticised in the latest edition of the Lesbos bulletin by the Greek Council for Refugees and Oxfam.

In the Mavrovouni site on Lesbos, known as “Moria 2”, Afghans make up 63% of the population. In June, the Greek government decided that Afghans, along with Syrians, Somalians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis, could be returned to Turkey even if they are refugees. On 16 August, the day following the fall of Kabul, the Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, said that “Greece may not become a gate of entrance” for Afghans. This contradicts existing obligations to welcome those seeking safety.

Vasilis Papastergiou, Legal expert at Greek Council for Refugees said:

“Greece’s decision to ban Afghan refugees, among others, from Europe is immoral. Not only does it fly in the face of international and European law, it prevents people from being able to move on with rebuilding their lives. Through a technical manipulation of their registration, these people are denied the most basic help and are thrown back into turmoil.

“In one case GCR worked on, the Greek authorities refused to look at an Afghan family’s application for asylum. Rather than examining it, as European migration law dictates, they made the unfounded decision that, despite only spending four days in Turkey before entering Greece, the family must be returned. This is notwithstanding the fact that Turkey is refusing returns from Greece since 2020 which means this family is now stuck in Lesbos.

“This is not an isolated case. Hundreds of people in ‘Moria 2’ are now in limbo while asylum seekers are used as political bargaining chips.”

This week also marks a year since the fire that burned down the notorious Moria camp in Lesbos, and the promise of “No More Morias” by EU Commissioner, Ylva Johansson. Yet, for refugees living in the hastily constructed and temporary “Moria 2”, the living conditions are as dire as ever. The European Court for Human Rights has recently said the Greek authorities failed to ensure that the camp lived up to European standards. The heatwaves this summer also highlighted the abysmal living conditions, and the Greek government’s lack of preparation means that, for the sixth year in a row, many people will spend the winter in tents.

The lack of security measures in the camp also puts women at risk. A recent survey showed that single women express their fears around getting water or using the showers and bathrooms after dark. Measures such as installing proper lighting, examining the possibility of building toilets closer to the single women’s section of the camp and upping women security presence would make this temporary camp safer for women.

Erin McKay, Oxfam’s European Migration Campaign Manager said:

“The Greek government has openly said it wants to deter, rather than welcome people. This decision has resulted in people who are seeking safety living in slum-like conditions. How the EU intends to reconcile this reality in Europe with their expressed aim to help people rebuild their lives is unclear.”

Notes:

In June, the Greek authorities decided to designate Turkey as a safe third country for people applying for asylum originating from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan or Bangladesh. According to official data, applicants from these five countries represented 65.8% of applicants in 2020.

The European Court for Human Rights recently affirmed on 19 July 2021 that living conditions in Mavrovouni (“Moria 2”) camp continue to fall below EU legal standards.

The survey was conducted by the international organisations and NGOs operating in Lesbos.

Kiwis stand together to ask Government to step-up for Afghanistan

September 9, 2021

The United Nations has called for the international community to stand together for Afghanistan as world leaders meet at a flash appeal on Monday 13 September. Charity groups, local communities and other organisations in Aotearoa have taken the opportunity to call upon the New Zealand government to commit to more humanitarian aid. Executive Director of Oxfam Aotearoa Rachael Le Mesurier says that New Zealand needs to do more to contribute as a global citizen:

“The need is severe. Forty years of war, natural disasters, and now Covid-19 have conspired to push Afghanistan to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The $3 million of aid the government has recently provided pales in comparison to the hundreds of millions of dollars the New Zealand government spent on the military campaign in Afghanistan over the last two decades.

“We ask the government to commit to $10 million of new humanitarian aid to help people in Afghanistan. The global flash appeal for Afghanistan is asking for more than NZ$840 million to support around 11 million Afghanistan people in crisis, particularly women and girls. New Zealand can and must step-up.”

This week it was reported that even before the Taliban took over the country, the people of Afghanistan were already struggling to feed their families due to drought, loss of crops and soaring food prices. A combination of conflict, Covid-19 and drought could mean that soon millions of Afghans may experience starvation. Women are going hungry to feed their children, as 50 per cent of children under five are facing acute malnutrition and need life-saving treatment.

New Zealand was part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for the past twenty years. Charity groups, local communities and other organisations say that New Zealand has an obligation to help the Afghan people who remain in their country even though we have left.

Along with Oxfam Aotearoa the following support this ask:

ActionStation
Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
Christian World Service
ChildFund New Zealand
Council for International Development
Hazara Association of New Zealand
Save The Children New Zealand
Tearfund NZ
United Afghan Association of Canterbury
World Vision New Zealand