Sudan war deepens
- Sudan's war entered its fourth year as a senior paramilitary commander defected from the RSF to the army. - The health ministry reports 37% of health facilities are out of service, and millions face displacement and worsening hunger. - Defections may shift battlefield dynamics, but collapsing services and dwindling aid mean civilians keep suffering ( ).
A senior Rapid Support Forces commander switched sides to Sudan’s army as the war crossed into its fourth year on April 15, 2026. (pbs.org) Abu Aqla Keikal had led the paramilitary group’s operations in Gezira state before appearing with army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan in Port Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces accused him of betrayal and said his move would not change the fight. (pbs.org) The war began on April 15, 2023, after a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces over how the paramilitary force would be folded into the state military. Fighting that started in Khartoum spread across Darfur, Kordofan and other regions. (dw.com) Sudan is now the world’s largest displacement crisis, with about 14 million people driven from their homes since the war began, including 9 million displaced inside Sudan and 4.4 million who crossed borders. United Nations refugee officials said one in four Sudanese is displaced. (unhcr.org) The health system has buckled with the war. Sudan’s health ministry said 37% of health facilities are out of service, and the World Health Organization said 21 million people now lack health services. (dw.com) (who.int) Aid agencies say hunger is tightening at the same time. The World Food Programme says nearly 34 million people need urgent help, with famine confirmed in Al Fasher and Kadugli and risk spreading to 20 more areas across Darfur and Kordofan. (wfp.org) Children are taking a growing share of the harm. UNICEF said at least 245 children were killed or injured in the first 90 days of 2026, and drone attacks accounted for nearly 80% of those child casualties. (unicef.org) The battlefield has shifted in the army’s favor in some places, including parts of central Sudan, but relief agencies say civilians are still trapped by shelling, disease outbreaks and blocked access. The World Food Programme said shrinking donor funding is forcing cuts even as needs rise. (pbs.org) (wfp.org) That leaves Sudan entering a fourth year of war with commanders still changing sides, front lines still moving, and hospitals, food supplies and aid networks still breaking down faster than they can be rebuilt. (pbs.org) (who.int)
