Congo and Sudan Face Overlooked Humanitarian Catastrophes as Millions Remain Displaced

The humanitarian crises unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan have escalated into some of the deadliest and most severe in modern times, yet they remain largely overshadowed in global discussion. With staggering levels of displacement, widespread hunger, and mass casualties, aid agencies warn that conditions in these two African nations far surpass many other crises that draw broader international attention.

Rising Casualties and Displacement in Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), conflict and instability have carved a devastating humanitarian toll. Nearly 9 million people are currently displaced within the country, making it one of the largest internal displacement crises in the world. Armed groups continue to battle across the eastern provinces, where ethnic tensions, resource competition, and regional rivalries intersect to fuel violence.

The human cost is staggering. Since the late 1990s, the Congo wars have caused an estimated 6 million deaths, primarily from conflict, hunger, and preventable disease. Between 1998 and 2006 alone, fatalities reached around 6 million—ten times higher than recent figures reported in Palestine. Recent escalations in Ituri and North Kivu provinces continue to drive mass displacement, pushing already overburdened refugee camps and host communities to their limits.

Despite the scale of this crisis, the suffering in Congo often fails to attract sustained global attention. Aid agencies consistently highlight the “silent emergency” in the country, where disease outbreaks, sexual violence, and food insecurity intersect with one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.

Sudan’s Spiraling Conflict and Famine Risk

Sudan’s ongoing conflict adds another dire emergency to the regional humanitarian map. Since violence reignited in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the number of displaced people has soared dramatically. Today, approximately 14 million Sudanese are displaced both internally and across borders, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world.

Food insecurity and malnutrition dominate the landscape. Some 20 million people within Sudan and another 20 million in surrounding regions dependent on cross-border aid now face acute food shortages, putting an estimated 40 million individuals at risk of starvation. Families are being forced into desperate conditions in camps across Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, as the conflict disrupts agricultural production, markets, and humanitarian supply chains.

The crisis bears echoes of Sudan’s troubled past. The Darfur conflict in the early 2000s displaced millions and led to widespread allegations of atrocities. Today, similar patterns of violence are re-emerging, with indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Khartoum, Darfur, and elsewhere deepening what analysts are calling one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century.

Comparisons With Other Global Crises

Though every humanitarian emergency carries its own tragedy and urgency, the current situations in Congo and Sudan are notable for both scale and severity. In terms of displacement alone, Sudan’s 14 million and Congo’s 9 million uprooted civilians vastly outnumber other global hotspots. By contrast, the Gaza conflict has produced displacement in the hundreds of thousands, a fraction of those fleeing in Africa.

The scale of deaths also underscores the disproportion of attention. Where the Congo wars from 1998 onward led to millions of deaths—at least 300 times greater than casualties in Palestine in the past decade—the crisis receives minimal international media coverage compared with Middle Eastern conflicts. Humanitarian officials warn that the muted visibility not only obscures the suffering of millions but also hampers global fundraising for aid operations.

Regional and Economic Implications

The economic consequences of these crises are not confined to the borders of Congo and Sudan. Neighboring states grapple with the enormous pressures of hosting millions of refugees, straining already fragile economies.

• In Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, waves of Congolese refugees have tested public services and food systems. Uganda alone hosts more than 1.5 million refugees, the majority from South Sudan and Congo.
• In Chad and South Sudan, the arrival of Sudanese families fleeing conflict has overwhelmed existing humanitarian infrastructure. Camps are at capacity, and cross-border economies are being reshaped as displaced populations seek livelihoods in trading, farming, or informal labor markets.

The regional instability also discourages foreign investment and trade partnerships. Mineral-rich eastern Congo remains a key supplier of cobalt—essential for modern technologies like batteries and electric vehicles—but persistent insecurity jeopardizes production and increases costs for global industries reliant on these resources. Sudan, with its strategic position on the Red Sea and valuable agricultural potential, has likewise seen the collapse of trade routes and investment prospects.

Historical Context of African Conflicts

The crises in Congo and Sudan cannot be understood without examining their historical roots. Congo’s decades-long instability stems from the aftermath of Belgian colonial rule, Cold War interventions, and the spillover of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Armed groups have exploited its mineral wealth, perpetuating violence and preventing the consolidation of state authority.

Sudan, meanwhile, has been shaped by cycles of civil war and authoritarian rule since its independence in 1956. The secession of South Sudan in 2011 resolved one chapter of conflict but opened another, leaving unresolved ethnic and political divisions. Today’s war between rival generals represents both a continuation of Sudan’s fraught military politics and a rupture with the country’s brief experiment in democratic transition after the ousting of Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

Global Attention and Aid Gaps

Despite the magnitude of these emergencies, funding for humanitarian operations in both countries remains perilously low. Appeals by the United Nations for aid to Sudan and Congo have consistently fallen short, with many programs forced to scale back essential services such as healthcare, food delivery, and education for displaced children.

The lack of global attention is stark. Disasters in the Middle East and Europe frequently dominates, overshadowing African emergencies of equal or greater scale. Officials stress that this imbalance not only distorts public understanding of humanitarian priorities but also reduces the pressure on governments to commit resources and diplomatic capital to resolve African conflicts.

Human Toll and Future Outlook

Ordinary civilians bear the brunt of these overlooked catastrophes. Families in Congo are often uprooted multiple times as conflicts flare, while in Sudan, urban warfare has shattered the fragile stability of Khartoum, leaving millions to flee the capital city in search of shelter.

Health concerns loom large. Overcrowded camps and insufficient sanitation create fertile ground for cholera outbreaks and other diseases. Malnutrition among children is reaching alarming levels, with aid groups warning of irreversible consequences if assistance does not reach those in need swiftly.

Looking ahead, relief agencies warn that without dramatic increases in both international aid and political will to broker peace, the crises in Congo and Sudan are set to worsen. Experts predict that displacement figures may continue to rise, famine could spread across borders, and instability may further destabilize the central and eastern African regions.

A Global Humanitarian Alarm

The situations in Congo and Sudan stand among the largest humanitarian crises in generations, measured both in death tolls and human displacement. Yet the relative invisibility of these crises on the world stage underscores a troubling disparity in how the international community prioritizes suffering.

As millions in both nations face hunger, violence, and displacement, the reality is that Congo and Sudan are experiencing some of the most severe human emergencies of our time. Without urgent intervention, the human toll could grow far worse—marking another tragic chapter in the history of overlooked conflicts in Africa.