IOM Sound Alarm Over Sudan Crisis; Egypt and UN Step Up Humanitarian and Diplomatic Push for Stability

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

As the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns of unprecedented displacement in Sudan, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher pushes for continued humanitarian operations and regional coordination to mitigate the region’s “human suffering and descent into human hell.”

Speaking today from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, IOM Director General Amy Pope described the “significant scale of the displacement crisis” in Sudan. Reports emerging from El Fasher following the recent capture of the city by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) two weeks ago indicate that 90,000 Sudanese civilians have been displaced. The civilians Pope refers to have been forced to flee the war-torn city through unsafe routes, with almost no access to food, water, or medical assistance. Reports also suggest that tens of thousands remain trapped in El Fasher, surviving in famine-like conditions as hospitals, markets, and water systems collapse.

Civilians who escaped the besieged city, Pope said, reported “widespread violence, sexual abuse, and cases of civilians who are sometimes shot on sight.” Witnesses described “seeing dead bodies along the way” as they fled El Fasher. Pope emphasized that the call and need for humanitarian assistance are “incredible,” with the influx of large-scale aid severely hindered by “unprecedented cuts to humanitarian assistance around the world.”

The massive funding cuts refer to the sharp reduction in U.S. and other international contributions. The United States, previously the largest donor to the United Nations and its humanitarian operations, has slashed its funding—resulting in a 40% drop compared to the same period in 2024. This has had a domino effect, as other states have followed suit. As of mid-2025, the UN and its major humanitarian organizations report that only 17% of the $46 billion needed for 2025 has been received. This shortfall has created major setbacks in global operations and UN functionality. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), for instance, has reduced its 2025 humanitarian appeal from $44 billion to $29 billion and is now prioritizing the most critical emergencies. UNICEF also reported that funding cuts in Sudan alone have already forced 250,000 children out of school.

Pope also warned that Sudan’s displacement crisis is not confined to El Fasher or Darfur. Between 26 October and 9 November, an estimated 38,990 people fled fighting in North Kordofan, where many are reportedly traveling long distances by donkey carts, sleeping outdoors without shelter, and going days without food.

As the situation grows increasingly dire, Tom Fletcher is in Sudan, traveling to Darfur to meet families who fled the recent violence in El Fasher. Fletcher is also expected to meet with UN aid workers to deliberate on access constraints, humanitarian distribution, and the severe funding shortages. In his most recent efforts, Fletcher allocated $20 million from OCHA’s Central Emergency Response Fund to deliver what Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric described as “life-saving aid.” Dujarric said the emergency fund is crucial to scaling up operations, particularly in Tawila, Darfur, and Kordofan.

Just yesterday, Fletcher was in Port Sudan, where he met with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to ensure life-saving aid reaches all corners of the war-ravaged country. The talks focused on improving humanitarian access. Fletcher called the discussions “constructive,” adding in a video released by Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, “I very much welcome the constructive conversations I had with President Burhan… aimed at ensuring that we can continue to operate everywhere across Sudan to deliver in a neutral, independent, and impartial way for all those who are in such dire need of international support.”

In his call for international support, Fletcher also met with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, and Sudan’s Foreign Minister. Dujarric said the meeting “aimed to discuss the need to reach people across Sudan,” adding that Fletcher expressed his gratitude for Egypt’s partnership.

Increased Egyptian involvement and efforts to assist the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) come particularly amid Cairo’s apprehension over El Fasher’s fall to the RSF. Kholood Khair, a Sudanese analyst and director of the Confluence Advisory think tank, stated in a report on November 6, “SAF expects Egypt and Turkey to provide it with weapons after the fall of El Fasher.” She added, “Egypt in particular has a stake in securing its southern border and is apprehensive about the RSF’s deployments toward it.”