Amid famine, displacement, and escalating violence, global powers call for peace while Sudan’s paramilitary group declares rival government
Marking Two Years of Conflict: Aid and Urgency at London Conference
On the grim second anniversary of Sudan’s civil war, international diplomats and humanitarian leaders gathered in London to pledge financial aid and urge an immediate end to the violence that has devastated the African nation. The conflict, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has left at least 20,000 people dead and created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The European Union announced a pledge of €522 million ($590 million) in aid for 2025, while the United Kingdom committed £120 million (€141 million) to deliver emergency food aid to 650,000 people in Sudan. However, speakers at the summit emphasized that financial assistance alone cannot resolve the crisis.
“No amount of humanitarian assistance will be sufficient if this war continues,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed the sentiment, warning that a lack of political will remains the primary obstacle to peace.
No Sudanese Representation — and a Divided Nation
Despite the high-profile presence of international actors—including officials from Germany, France, the African Union, and Sudan’s neighbors—no representatives from Sudan’s warring factions attended the one-day summit. As world powers discussed humanitarian efforts and diplomatic strategies, news broke from Sudan that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had declared the formation of a rival government.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo announced a new “Government of Peace and Unity” that he claimed would reflect Sudan’s diversity and deliver services across the country. The RSF now controls much of the south and Darfur, while the Sudanese army holds territory in the east and north, including the capital Khartoum.
This de facto partition underscores the deepening complexity of the war, which was sparked by a power struggle between Dagalo and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Both had previously shared power after the 2021 coup that toppled Sudan’s transitional government, but relations between the generals soured, igniting the brutal conflict.
The Human Toll: A Crisis of Unprecedented Scale
The figures are staggering: over 14 million people displaced, nearly 25 million facing extreme hunger, and 12 million women and girls at risk of gender-based violence. Dallia Abdelmoneim, a Sudanese political analyst who fled the conflict, described the civil war as the “largest and the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.”
International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric condemned the “relentless nightmare of death and destruction” and urged both parties to take “concrete steps” to protect civilians.
Baerbock also announced an immediate humanitarian aid package worth €125 million to support food and medical delivery through local and international organizations.
The African Union’s commissioner for political affairs, Bankole Adeoye, reinforced the need for a united approach: “Achieving peace in Sudan depends on valuing every voice and everyone playing a role in building a prosperous Sudan.”
A Region on the Brink
The effects of Sudan’s civil war are not contained within its borders. With millions displaced to neighboring countries, there are growing fears that the conflict could destabilize the wider region. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate as global leaders struggle to coordinate a diplomatic breakthrough.
As Sudan enters the third year of civil war, the pledges made in London signal renewed international attention—but without sustained pressure, peace remains a distant hope.