Why it Matters

Sudan faces one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The war is estimated to have killed approximately 200,000 people and displaced more than 11 million. Civilians have been subjected to siege-like conditions, while drone strikes have hit El Obeid. The United Nations has described Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will receive a closed briefing on the war in Sudan on Aug. 5.

The Escalating Crisis

Recent military developments have intensified the conflict's humanitarian toll. The Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces recaptured key cities in North Kordofan on July 25, including Bara, Al-Baraka and Um Sayala. Hours after the Sudanese Armed Forces regained control of the highway connecting El Obeid to Khartoum on July 27, drone strikes attributed to the Rapid Support Forces hit El Obeid. Two days later, retreating Rapid Support Forces troops launched retaliatory attacks on civilians in multiple North Kordofan communities, including Um Badr, Sodari, Abu Zaima and Hamrat al-Sheikh.

The humanitarian situation has continued to deteriorate. On July 3, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights warned the conflict "threatens to spiral further," citing "relentless" drone attacks on El Obeid by paramilitary forces. Civilians have endured "siege-like conditions for 18 months." A Sudan researcher described the country as a "convergence of humanitarian collapse," with armed conflict, mass displacement, famine, epidemic disease and economic collapse reinforcing one another. Al Jazeera reported that renewed fighting and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have slowed fertilizer shipments, worsening food insecurity in Sudan.

Committee Signals

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has maintained sustained oversight of the conflict.

Committee Chair Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) marked the conflict's third anniversary in an April statement, warning: "If this war continues, it will not only destroy Sudan but it will allow instability to fester across Africa and beyond. We can't allow this instability to threaten U.S. national security."

Ranking Member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), joined by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), urged the U.S.-led "Quad" of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to pursue a durable peace. Sens. Shaheen, Risch, Coons and John Cornyn (R-TX) have also introduced legislation addressing the conflict.

The Briefing

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's closed briefing on the war in Sudan is scheduled for Aug. 5 in 217 Capitol Visitor Center.

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