Sudan: Attacks in Kordofan states cause hundreds of deaths, mass displacement and the collapse of essential services – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Humanitarian Crisis in Kordofan States: A Report on Setbacks to Sustainable Development Goals

Overview of the Crisis

A report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) indicates a severe escalation of conflict in Sudan’s Kordofan states since the beginning of 2025. The intensified fighting has resulted in a critical humanitarian situation, directly impeding progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Civilian Casualties and Displacement: The conflict has caused hundreds of deaths. In some affected areas, displacement rates have reached 90%, with families being displaced multiple times due to shifting frontlines.
• Infrastructure and Services: Supply routes have been severely affected, isolating communities from basic services for months. Attacks on medical facilities have crippled an already weakened health system.
• Humanitarian Access: Restrictions on the movement of goods have worsened shortages of food and medical care, forcing further displacement as people search for survival.
• Public Health Emergency: An ongoing cholera outbreak, with over 7,800 recorded cases, poses an additional threat, compounded by the approaching rainy season and limited treatment capacity.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The ongoing conflict is a direct assault on the principles of SDG 16. The violence undermines efforts to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.

• The intensification of fighting and hundreds of resulting deaths are in direct opposition to Target 16.1 (Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere).
• The presence of explosive remnants of war poses a long-term threat to civilian safety and security.
• The ICRC’s reminder to all parties to comply with international humanitarian law underscores the breakdown of justice and the rule of law in the region.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The crisis has caused a catastrophic regression for SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

• Attacks on medical facilities and the flight of medical staff have destroyed critical health infrastructure, leaving communities without access to care and violating Target 3.8 (Achieve universal health coverage).
• The ongoing cholera outbreak, coupled with limited treatment capacity, presents a major challenge to Target 3.3 (End the epidemics of…water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases).
• The lack of access to medical care for the wounded and sick further exacerbates the health crisis.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The conflict has created conditions that make achieving SDG 2 impossible for the affected populations.

• Disrupted supply routes and restrictions on the movement of goods have led to severe food shortages, directly impacting Target 2.1 (End hunger and ensure access by all people…to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round).
• Forced displacement in search of survival is a clear indicator of acute food insecurity.

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The massive and repeated displacement of civilians undermines the foundations of poverty reduction and sustainable communities.

• Mass displacement, affecting up to 90% of civilians in some areas, pushes families into extreme poverty, directly countering the goals of SDG 1.
• The destruction of homes and infrastructure, coupled with the inability of civilians to return home safely, makes human settlements unsafe, non-inclusive, and unsustainable, as outlined in SDG 11.

Call to Action and Obligations Under International Law

The ICRC has issued a formal reminder to all parties to the conflict regarding their legal and moral obligations to protect civilians and mitigate the humanitarian crisis. Adherence to these principles is essential for safeguarding human dignity and creating conditions for a return to sustainable development.

1. All parties must comply with international humanitarian law.
2. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and markets, are prohibited.
3. Protecting civilians and ensuring their access to food, essential services, and humanitarian aid is a legal obligation.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Identified SDG Targets

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. The article highlights this target through its description of the severe humanitarian crisis where “Restrictions on the movement of goods have worsened shortages, forcing more people to flee in search of survival. Lack of food, medical care and safe escape routes is deepening the humanitarian crisis.” This directly points to a failure to ensure access to sufficient food for the affected population.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.3: End the epidemics of water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article explicitly mentions that “The ongoing cholera outbreak…pose an additional threat. There are already more than 7,800 recorded cholera cases.” This directly relates to the challenge of combating communicable, water-borne diseases.
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity for early warning, risk reduction, and management of national and global health risks. The article indicates a severe regression on this target by stating that “attacks on medical facilities have further crippled the already weakened health system. Medical staff have fled, facilities have been damaged or destroyed, and communities have been left without critical care.” This shows a collapse in the health system’s capacity to manage health risks.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. The mass displacement mentioned in the article, where “In some areas, 90% of civilians have fled” and “many families being displaced multiple times,” demonstrates a complete lack of access to safe and adequate housing for a significant portion of the population.
   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and people affected by disasters, including man-made disasters like conflict. The article’s focus on the conflict resulting in “hundreds of deaths” and the widespread impact on civilians (“90% of civilians have fled”) directly relates to the goal of protecting people from the effects of disasters.

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The core issue of the article is the intense fighting in the Kordofan states, which has “result[ed] in hundreds of deaths.” The ICRC’s call for parties to “comply with international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure,” underscores the relevance of this target.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Indicator (Implied): Prevalence of food insecurity. The article implies a high prevalence through statements like “Lack of food” and “shortages,” which are forcing people to flee.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Indicator 3.3.2 (related): Incidence of water-borne diseases. The article provides a direct measure for this with “more than 7,800 recorded cholera cases.”
   • Indicator (Implied): Health system capacity and resilience. The destruction of health infrastructure (“facilities have been damaged or destroyed”) and loss of personnel (“Medical staff have fled”) serve as negative indicators of the health system’s capacity.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Indicator (Implied): Proportion of the population who are internally displaced. The statistic that “90% of civilians have fled” in some areas serves as a direct indicator of mass displacement.

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Indicator 16.1.2: Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population. The article’s mention of “hundreds of deaths” due to the fighting is a direct, though not precisely quantified, measure related to this indicator.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary Table

Source: icrc.org