As Sudan marks two years of war on 15 April, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust express their condolences and support to the Sudanese people who have suffered greatly, and urge a rapid end to the conflict.
The duo said in a statement Tuesday that they grieve with all Sudanese who have suffered, and for the humanitarian workers who have been killed while trying to help.
“These losses are all the more heartbreaking because they are a result of a manmade crisis. The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding every day in Sudan demands our immediate and collective attention,” the ministers said. “We are deeply appalled by the many reports of brutal attacks on civilians. The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian access continues with few signs of improvement. Sexual and gender-based violence are endemic to the crisis and is used strategically as a method of warfare. Food and humanitarian access are instrumentalized in this brutal conflict as weapons of war. Sieges of cities and refugee camps are causing hunger and desperation.”
“We remind all parties that they are obliged by international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to facilitate humanitarian access. International humanitarian law is not optional. Violations must have consequences,” they added.
According to the statement, despite the devastations caused by war, the Sudanese have shown remarkable resilience – there are countless examples of courage and kindness.
“We are impressed by the efforts of Sudanese civil society and grassroots organisations mitigating the effects of the war. For instance, the young people, women, and men working tirelessly in the Emergency Response Rooms stand out; they deserve our support and respect,” the statement reads. “Only lasting peace can bring an end to the human suffering in Sudan. That requires a cessation of hostilities, followed by a Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned inclusive political process. We want to see a new democratic transition led by a civilian government.”
Relatedly, Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General, in a press release on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis, last week said the war in Sudan has caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. He added that armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed.
“We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive,” the press release read in part. “Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet. We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan.”
“Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives,” Egeland added.
He called on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity.
“Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity,” Egeland concluded.
An estimated 11.5 million people have been uprooted within Sudan, and 3.5 million forced to flee into neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, and Uganda (UN OCHA, IOM). Around 25 million people—half the population of Sudan—are in acute need of food, including 1.5 million on the edge of famine.
In 2024, when the humanitarian community in Sudan needed $2.7 billion to address the most urgent needs of 14.7 million people, $1.8 billion was received, of which the United States contributed close to half ($805.7 million). An estimated 4.4 million people across Sudan received some form of humanitarian assistance thanks to US funding in 2024 (OCHA).
In 2025, humanitarian actors are seeking $4.16 billion to reach 20.9 million people in Sudan. As of 7 April, only 9.9 percent of this had been funded. The Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2025 requires $1.18 billion to cover the assistance for 5 million refugees, returnees, third country nationals, and host communities in seven neighbouring countries. As of March 2025, only 6 percent of the funding has been pledged. Last year, only 31 percent of the $1.5 billion refugee plan had been funded, $91 million by the US alone.