Sudan's Crisis: a Humanitarian Responsibility We Cannot Ignore
As the conflict in Sudan intensifies, the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating, yet global attention remains limited. For UN Students Norway, it is essential to shed light on this crisis, emphasise our shared responsibility, and highlight why continued engagement matters. Below is a brief update on what is happening and why we cannot afford to look away.
The humanitarian responsibility we carry today cannot be overstated. In Sudan, a brutal power‐struggle since April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has erupted into one of the world’s worst conflict zones (1). There are reports of mass killings, targeted ethnic violence, sexual violence and deliberate starvation of civilians as a weapon of war (2). The humanitarian needs are severe. Over 30 million people, nearly two-thirds of the population, require urgent aid. Additionally, around nine million are internally displaced, and more than three million have fled the country (1).
We must take responsibility because turning our backs is not an option. As students and future decision makers, we understand that abandoning Sudan now would be a betrayal of human rights, international law, and solidarity. The decision by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate alleged war crimes in El Fasher in the Darfur region underlines how serious the violations are, and how crucial accountability is (2).
It matters because when we fail to act, we allow unaccountability, and it fuels further violence. By maintaining attention, supporting humanitarian access, and urging political solutions, we uphold our responsibility. We cannot simply turn away. We must engage, advocate and remind the world that Sudan’s crisis is everyone’s crisis.
Written by, Nora Amalie Nesse Tellnes, Political Manager, UN Students Norway
(1) FN-sambandet. (2025, August 20). Sudan: Konflikter / Darfur. https://fn.no/konflikter/sudan-darfur
(2) Nordbø Odiin, A., & Torkelsen, E. (2025, November 14). FNs menneskerettsråd beordrer gransking av antatte forbrytelser i El Fasher i Sudan. VG. https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/eMlp5Q/fns-menneskerettsraad-beordrer-gransking-av-antatte-forbrytelser-i-el-fasher-i-sudan
