The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that Sudan has become the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, with an estimated 9.5 million people uprooted across 18 states amid nearly three years of ongoing conflict.

“For nearly three years, Sudanese children have endured a deepening humanitarian emergency driven by violence, displacement, disease and widespread hunger,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday.

UNICEF said it continues to operate on the ground with partners to deliver life-saving services to children and families affected by the crisis, including health and nutrition care, access to safe water, psychosocial support and education.

However, the agency warned that the crisis in Sudan remains severely under-reported and critically underfunded, limiting the ability of humanitarian actors to respond to growing needs.

UNICEF stressed that children are bearing the heaviest burden of the conflict, reiterating the urgent need for lasting peace and stability across the country.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people.