Sudan aid operations at risk of collapse within weeks, IOM warns

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that Sudan’s emergency relief supply through its Common Humanitarian Pipeline could end imminently, as hundreds of thousands of displaced people face severe shelter shortages amid ongoing fighting and heavy rains, according to a press release issued on 14 September 2026 from Port Sudan and Geneva. The agency cautioned that without new funding, the humanitarian system could collapse within weeks. Displacement, conflict and weather-related damage continue to leave vulnerable families exposed. IOM stressed that immediate donor support is required to sustain operations. The alert underscores a widening gap between rising needs and available resources.

According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, 8.6 million people remain internally displaced in Sudan and 4.9 million returnees have been recorded. Nearly 70 percent of internally displaced people are living with host families or in informal settlements. Ongoing violence, floods and heavy rains continue to damage shelters, forcing people to move. Needs remain acute in conflict and crisis-affected communities across the country. Vulnerable families are increasingly exposed as the humanitarian system approaches the edge of collapse.

Managed by IOM, the Common Humanitarian Pipeline has reached 2.84 million people since July 2023. More than 1 million people were assisted through the Pipeline in 2024, falling to 804,000 in 2025. So far in 2026, IOM has provided shelter and emergency support kits to 330,000 people. Without immediate donor support, current shelter, sanitation and emergency household relief items are expected to be depleted by the end of September 2026. Warehousing and operational capacity that keeps the Pipeline functioning can only be sustained until December 2026.

“We simply can’t turn our back on the people of Sudan when they need us most amid raging conflict, increased displacement and the impact of heavy rain,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director General. “The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don’t act now. Without new funding, we won’t be able to get help where it’s needed most.”

The Pipeline serves as a shared logistics system for the UN and its partners, enabling coordinated dispatch of emergency relief items through more than 100 registered partners. Rebuilding the system after any interruption would be complex, costly and time-consuming.

IOM requires USD 15 million to maintain the Common Pipeline at its 2026 minimum capacity for 12 months, supporting 305,000 people. USD 27 million would restore assistance to approximately 2025 levels and reach 570,000 people, while USD 42 million would enable a scale-up to provide immediate lifesaving support for up to one million people. Prolonged exposure to weather, disease and insecurity can heighten risks of gender-based violence, family separation and eviction in overcrowded sites. Continued underfunding also raises the risk of shelter failure and flood-related secondary displacement. Funding will now determine whether this emergency supply mechanism remains ready to respond amid ongoing conflict-related displacement and the current rainy season.