Sudan hits fourth year

Sudan’s war entered its fourth year on Wednesday with no ceasefire, millions still uprooted, and fighting spread across a country now split between rival forces. (abcnews.com) The war began on April 15, 2023, after a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. United Nations agencies said about 14 million people have fled their homes, including 9 million displaced inside Sudan and 4.4 million who crossed into countries including Chad, South Sudan and Egypt. (news.un.org) Associated Press reported 13 million displaced on April 14, while United Nations agencies said 14 million on April 10, reflecting different reporting cutoffs as the anniversary approached. The United Nations also said about 34 million people now need aid and 21 million face acute food insecurity. (abcnews.com) (news.un.org) The front lines have shifted, but the country is not at peace. Khartoum has reopened its airport and some government institutions have moved back from Port Sudan, even as fighting continues in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile state. (npr.org) (aljazeera.com) (news.un.org) Aid officials say drone warfare has become a defining feature of 2026. Al Jazeera, citing United Nations officials, reported nearly 700 civilians killed in drone strikes since the start of the year, while UNICEF said drones accounted for nearly 80 percent of the 245 children reported killed or injured in the first 90 days. (aljazeera.com) (unicef.org.uk) Human Rights Watch said on April 14 that both sides have carried out unlawful attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure since January, including drone strikes on hospitals and power stations. The group urged leaders meeting in Berlin on April 15 to adopt “concrete, time-bound measures” to protect civilians and pursue accountability. (hrw.org) United Nations agencies say the abuses reach far beyond the battlefield. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than 500 victims of sexual violence were identified in 2025 alone, and 11,300 civilians were killed that year, with many more missing or unidentified. (ungeneva.org) (ohchr.org) The army has presented the return of flights and officials to Khartoum as proof it is regaining control. Analysts and aid agencies say that recovery is limited, with electricity and water still scarce in the capital and much of western Sudan devastated by repeated attacks, displacement and hunger. (npr.org) (abcnews.com) Three years after the first battles in Khartoum, Sudan is still fighting on multiple fronts, and the main numbers keep rising: more displaced people, more hunger, and more civilians hit by drones. (news.un.org) (aljazeera.com)