Sudan faces world's worst humanitarian crisis, says UK Foreign Secretary

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy sounded the alarm on Monday, calling the ongoing crisis in Sudan “the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world,” during a high-level Africa forum hosted in Marrakech, central Morocco.

Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal power struggle since April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the Sudanese Armed Forces under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s de facto ruler.

“This crisis in Sudan… is currently the worst humanitarian disaster globally, and it is deeply concerning,” Lammy said, responding to a question about Sudan from businessman and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim, founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which organized the event.

Lammy criticized what he described as global inattention to the conflict: “There is ambivalence, ambiguity, and certainly a lack of global visibility around this crisis—particularly in much of the Western world.”

Since assuming his post, the foreign secretary said he had “made it a priority to draw attention” to Sudan’s deteriorating situation.

The war has left tens of thousands dead and displaced over 13 million people. Sudan's healthcare system has all but collapsed, vital infrastructure has been destroyed, and famine has been officially declared in five areas, including three displacement camps in Darfur and parts of the Nuba Mountains.

As the conflict continues with no political resolution in sight, humanitarian agencies are struggling to deliver aid amid extreme insecurity, shortages, and collapsing governance.

Observers warn that without urgent international mobilization, Sudan risks becoming a forgotten crisis—despite being one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in modern history.