Death toll in Sudan war hits 61,000 – Report

A devastating new report has unveiled the true human cost of the ongoing Sudan civil war, painting a far grimmer picture than previously acknowledged.

The Sudan Research Group, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, estimates that over 61,000 people have died in Khartoum state alone since the conflict began in April 2023. This stark figure dwarfs the United Nations’ official count of 20,000 confirmed deaths across the nation and underscores the war’s devastating, underreported impact.

The research attributes 26,000 of Khartoum’s deaths directly to violence, but the majority are caused by preventable diseases and starvation—grim markers of a crumbling health and food infrastructure. The capital city, where the fighting first erupted, has become a grim epicentre of death. Yet, the carnage extends to other parts of the country, particularly the western region of Darfur, where ethnic cleansing and atrocities have left entire communities devastated.

In Darfur, famine conditions declared by a UN-backed panel have further exacerbated suffering. The area has witnessed rampant sexual violence, mass killings, and the destruction of entire villages, acts often blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, and Sudan’s regular army, under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, remain locked in a ferocious struggle for power, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire.

Humanitarian workers warn that the 19-month conflict has created the world’s worst crisis, with millions displaced and thousands teetering on the brink of famine. Compounding the chaos, Sudan’s shattered health system struggles to contain outbreaks of disease, including cholera and measles.

The lack of systematic casualty recording due to the fighting and chaos means the true scale of the disaster remains unknown. US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello suggested earlier this year that the death toll could exceed 150,000.

Read also: Several media reports say Israeli death toll rises above 600 and counting

Global arms trade under scrutiny

Amid the humanitarian disaster, a separate investigation by Amnesty International has shed light on the role of international arms in the conflict. French-made Galix defence systems, supplied to the UAE, have been documented in use by the RSF in Darfur, in violation of a UN arms embargo.

Amnesty shared verified images of destroyed vehicles fitted with the Galix system, raising serious questions about how advanced military technology ended up on Sudan’s battlefields.

France, which exported €2.6 billion in military equipment to the UAE between 2014 and 2023, faces growing criticism for failing to enforce end-user certifications that prevent re-export to conflict zones.

Amnesty’s Secretary-General Agnès Callamard called on the French government and arms manufacturers to halt supplies immediately, stating, “If France cannot guarantee these arms won’t be used to commit atrocities, it should not authorise their transfer.”

A history of neglect and complicity

Sudan’s plight has long been overshadowed by other global conflicts. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominate international attention, leaving Sudan’s multi-faceted crisis—marked by hunger, displacement, disease, and war crimes—grossly under prioritised.

The RSF, accused of orchestrating ethnic cleansing in Darfur, denies the allegations, instead blaming local militias. Meanwhile, both warring parties face accusations of war crimes, including the targeting of civilians and deliberate attacks on aid workers.

Calls for action

The findings have prompted Amnesty International to demand an expansion of the UN arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, coupled with robust mechanisms to monitor and enforce compliance. Activists are also calling for greater humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

As Sudan edges closer to total collapse, the international community’s failure to respond adequately risks further entrenching one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century.

The Sudan Research Group’s report warns that 90% of deaths in Khartoum have gone unrecorded—an indicator of the silent suffering in a nation where war, famine, and disease thrive in the shadows of neglect.

This latest revelation is a call to action: for governments, aid agencies, and global powers to turn their attention to Sudan before more lives are lost to a preventable catastrophe.