Sudan: One in Three Sudanese Households Have Lost Their Livelihoods - UN

What the report says

A new UN-backed assessment says Sudan’s war has pushed the humanitarian crisis far beyond hunger and displacement, leaving many households unable to meet basic needs for income, water, education, health care, shelter and protection. The report, the 2026 Sudan Multi-Sector Needs Assessment published on 9 November by the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, was based on 23,736 household interviews conducted between 23 July and 17 August across 185 localities in all 18 states.

According to the findings reported by Dabanga and carried by AllAfrica, 68% of households had unmet livelihood needs, the highest share across sectors covered in the survey. Nearly all households said prices of basic goods had risen, and many reported crisis-level coping measures such as borrowing, selling assets or cutting essential spending. The assessment also found that 31% of households had borderline or poor food consumption, pointing to reduced food quantity, variety or regularity.

Other sectors showed similarly wide gaps. Water needs were unmet for 59% of households, with displaced families reporting the greatest strain. In education, 42% of households had unmet needs, while 45% of households with children aged five to 18 said their children had not attended formal schooling regularly during the 2025-2026 year. Health and shelter access were also limited, especially for displaced people, who consistently faced worse outcomes than non-displaced or returnee households.

The survey did not include three localities in South Kordofan because of security and administrative restrictions, so some of the hardest-hit areas were not captured. The findings underscore how Sudan’s conflict continues to erode daily life and recovery prospects across the country.