Sudan conflict - ETC Situation Report #38 (Reporting period: March 2026)

Country: Sudan Sources: Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file. The WFP-led Logistics & Telecommunications Cluster (LTC)1 was activated on 25 May 2023 to support the humanitarian response to the conflict that began on 15 April 2023. LTC (Telecoms Area) Situation Reports are produced monthly. Summary Points • Throughout March, the LTC in Sudan faced major operational pressures as severe funding gaps and escalating insecurity strained its ability to sustain critical connectivity services, prompting intensified advocacy and coordination with partners and authorities. • In March, the LTC conducted a mission to Tawila in North Darfur to carry out an on-ground ICT assessment supporting humanitarian personnel, marking a key step in strengthening communications in an area hosting large numbers of displaced families. • The LTC procured 100 SIM cards to strengthen communication among protection champions nationwide, improving reporting of protection incidents and ensuring affected communities can access timely lifesaving support. Situation overview ETC installs new network cabling at the Atbara inter‐agency hub to strengthen connectivity for partners. Photo: WFP/Mohamed Almoshly. Sudan continues to face a rapidly escalating and geographically expanding conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. Hostilities intensified further in March, particularly across Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile, where the use of drones, airstrikes, and long-range weaponry has resulted in high casualties and extensive damage to critical infrastructure. Civilians remain at the centre of the crisis, facing acute protection risks in the worst-affected states. Humanitarian access is severely constrained by persistent insecurity, active fighting along key supply routes, and administrative impediments. According to UNOCHA, clashes along major commercial and humanitarian corridors continued to disrupt aid delivery and movement throughout March. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) remains only around 15 percent funded, significantly limiting the ability to scale up assistance amid unprecedented needs. Critical sectors, including food security, nutrition, health, WASH, and protection, remain gravely underfunded. Without improvements in the security environment and a substantial increase in funding, humanitarian needs are expected to rise further. UN agencies continue to call for an urgent de-escalation of violence, protection of civilians, adherence to international humanitarian law, and unhindered humanitarian access.
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