The Conversation published on 16 July 2026 a discussion summary titled "Africa's Greater Horn Region Is Facing a Looming Polycrisis Fueled by Conflict, Prices, Climate and Disease" by Daniel Maxwell, Alex de Waal, Luka Kuol, Merry Fitzpatrick, and Peter Hailey.
The impacts of a strengthening El Nino and effects of the war in Iran combined with existing prolonged crisis and conflict in the Horn of Africa are leading potentially to a major, multicountry polycrisis.
PBS News published on 5 February 2026 an article titled "Head of Humanitarian Group Urge's Nations to Step Up Sudan Aid to Prevent 'Biblical Famine'" in interview by Nick Schifrin with Jan Egeland, secretary-general, Norwegian Refugee Council.
Due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan, the country has become the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today. Too few organizations are on the ground, and they are overstretched and underfunded. The donor community, including the United States, is not providing enough food to prevent a biblical famine. Frontline Sudanese volunteers are largely keeping people alive.
The AEI's Critical Threats Africa File posted on 8 January 2026 an article titled "Sudan" by Michael DeAngelo.
The article documents military advances by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the SPLM-N in Kordofan region of Sudan. Both the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) routinely use drones in the conflict. The RSF appears focused on an effort to take the key city of El Obeid from the SAF.
The International Crisis Group posted on 23 December 2025 a one-hour podcast titled "Reflecting on Sudan's Collapse and Elusive Peace Process" by Comfort Ero and Alex de Waal with Yasmine Farouk.
Sudanese polarization and alienation of society in Sudan now makes peace unusually hard. Sudan has effectively collapsed as a recognizable state. There can only be a solution at the international level, making it more difficult to resolve. Sudan is now an international civil war. The personal involvement of President Trump in resolving the Sudan conflict increasingly appears not to be useful.
Time published on 4 November 2025 an article titled "What the Crisis in Sudan Means for the World" by David Miliband, International Rescue Committee.
The author outlines 4 immediate steps that need to be taken to address the humanitarian emergency in Sudan. They include safe passage for civilians, a full-scale humanitarian response, sustained diplomatic pressure by the Quad, and an end to the flow of arms into Sudan
The Washington Post published on 10 October 2025 an article titled "Medical Supply Shortages Follow U.S. Aid Cuts in Africa" by Tobi Raji and Katharine Houreld.
Africa has reportedly lost more than $8 Billion in funding since the Trump administration dismantled USAID earlier this year, The impact has been especially significant in the case of US-financed health care programs. The article emphasizes the damage on programs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Aljazeera posted on 21 September 2025 a 30-minute Inside Story podcast titled "What's Driving the Violence in Sudan--and What Could Bring Peace?"
Sudan is the world's largest humanitarian, protection, and displacement crisis today. A recent appeal by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE to accept a cease fire is not seen as a serious proposal by the warring Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Nor was there any expectation there would be a serious effort at the current session of the UN General Assembly in New York to deal with the conflict in Sudan.
UN News posted on 21 September 2025 an article titled "UN Chief Sounds Alarm over Worsening Crisis in Sudan's El Fasher" by Vibhu Mishra.
The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the situation is rapidly deteriorating in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which has been under siege for months by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The New York Times published on 30 August 2025 an opinion piece titled "Where There's No Debate About Genocide--And No Response Either" by Nicholas Kristof.
The author argues there is bipartisan agreement in the United States that Sudan is suffering both genocide and famine and a bipartisan consensus to do little about it. The Biden administration was too passive, and now so too is the Trump administration. But the failure is global. Arab and African countries have done more to aggravate the suffering in Sudan than to ease it.
The International Crisis Group posted on 24 July 2025 a 32-minute podcast titled "What Does Sudan's RSF Want?" with Alan Boswell and Sarra Majdoub, Sudan analyst.
Khartoum became a liability for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) where it lacked local support. Supply chains and recruiting became difficult and the RSF decided to pull out of the capital. Fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF has shifted to Kordofan and northern Darfur where the RSF is still a threat but does not have full control. The RSF is fighting to stay politically relevant.
The RSF is comprised of many different ethnic groups, which creates the possibility for internal divisions. It recently aligned with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North and may be preparing to establish a separate government in Western Sudan. This could lead to a permanent state or only serve as a way to bargain with the SAF.
The RSF conducted drone strikes on the SAF in Port Sudan and elsewhere because it lost Khartoum and wants to send the message that it can reach the SAF anywhere. The RSF's supply chain in Darfur is challenging but it receives requirements through Chad, southern Libya, and by air bridge to Nyala. The RSF connection with the UAE is well known but Abu Dhabi is probably not in a position to dictate the RSF's future. The RSF wants to be treated as an equal partner in Sudan.
The July/August 2025 issue of the Foreign Service Journal contains an article titled "USAID Is Vanishing" by Jim Bever, 35-year veteran of USAID.
This is an account by a former USAID mission director (4 times) on the impact of dismantling the US foreign aid organization. He emphasizes that no national security strategy has been offered to explain or justify this decision.
The Washington Post published on 29 June 2025 an article titled "In Sudan, Where Children Clung to Life, Doctors Say USAID Cuts Have Been Fatal" by Katharine Houreld.
Following the dismantlement of USAID and cuts in support for community soup kitchens and the end of critical medical supplies in Sudan, more Sudanese are dying. The World Health Organization estimates that 5 million Sudanese may lose access to lifesaving health services as a result of the US cuts.
The New York Times published on 9 May 2025 a commentary titled "The Wars We Still Can Stop" by Cameron Hudson, Center for Strategic and International Studies.
As the Trump administration steps back from the Horn of Africa and guts existing diplomacy tools, it raises the question whether Washington has abdicated its peacemaking role in the region. The author asks, "how many American warriors do we intend to commit to wars we could have stopped before they started?"
The Council on Foreign Relations published on 14 April 2025 a commentary titled "A Third Year of War: Dried-Up Aid Pulls Sudan Further into Chaos" by Mariel Ferragamo.
People are dying more of hunger and disease in Sudan than bullets. The health care system is collapsing. The dismantlement of USAID was followed by the shutting down of 80 percent of the local emergency kitchens. Other donors have also cut back on aid to Sudan.
The Associated Press published on 10 April 2025 an article titled "Sudan Faces the World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis as Second Anniversary of War Nears, UN Says" by Edith M. Lederer.
The World Food Program's emergency coordinator for Sudan reports that half of Sudan's 25 million people face extreme hunger after two years of war, making it the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
Foreign Policy published on 31 March 2025 a commentary titled "Congress Has a Choice on Sudan" by Gregory W. Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Trump administration cancelled emergency aid for Sudan on 26 February. The author, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is calling on Congress to resume humanitarian aid to Sudan, among other steps for dealing with the catastrophe.
The Hill published on 19 March 2025 a commentary titled "The Challenging but Compelling Political Case for USAID" by J. Brian Attwood, USAID administrator in the Clinton administration.
The author makes the domestic and international case for retaining the US Agency for International Development while acknowledging that it is a hard sell for many Americans who do not understand why the United States spends tax dollars on foreigners.
Stimson published on 24 February 2025 a study titled "Preventing Starvation Crimes: Lessons Learned from Tigray" by Shane Goetz.
The international community failed to prevent mass starvation during Ethiopia's civil war centered in Tigray Region in spite of a UN Security Council resolution designed to avoid this situation. The study concludes that the resolution lacks the tools to generate preventative action and early response to conflict-induced hunger crises or to hold parties accountable for the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
The International Crisis Group published on 28 February 2025 a commentary titled "U.S. Aid Cuts Make Famine More Likely and Easier to Hide" with contributions by Chris Newton and Delaney Simon.
The Trump administration has put a 90-day hold on most U.S. foreign aid, with devastating effects on the system built over decades for preventing famine. The result may be more and deadlier famine, with greater impunity for parties using starvation as a weapon of war.
The dismantling of USAID represents more than just a retreat in foreign assistance. It threatens infrastructure built over decades that, among other things, has served as a means of mitigating the most brutal effects of conflict.
