9.3 Million Lives in Limbo: The Sudan Kosti Displacement Crisis in 2026

The safety net for the world's most vulnerable is tearing apart. On the outskirts of Kosti, a city in south-central Sudan, thousands of families are surviving under nothing more than repurposed bedsheets. According to Al Jazeera, these makeshift shelters offer zero protection against the scorching sun or the biting winter winds as the civil war drags into its third year.

It's not just the violence that's killing people—it's the economic freefall. One displaced mother shared her heartbreak, noting that 10,000 Sudanese pounds (roughly $16) vanished instantly in the market for a few basic supplies. Families who fled with nothing are finding that even in "safer" zones like Kosti, survival is a daily battle against inflation and hunger.

Sudan Kosti Displacement Crisis 2026: A Tide of Despair

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has reached a brutal stalemate. In late October, the fall of el-Fasher to the RSF triggered a massive exodus. Monitoring groups reported that at least 1,500 civilians were killed during that takeover, sending tens of thousands fleeing toward White Nile state.

• The IOM records more than 9.3 million internally displaced people in Sudan.
• Children make up 55% of the displaced population.
• Around 3,500 new arrivals reached Kosti in just the last few days.

Funding Shortages and Collapsing Healthcare

The timing couldn't be worse. As of January 2026, international aid organizations have started cutting programs due to funding shortages from donor governments. Kosti is receiving about 25 families—roughly 100 to 150 individuals—every single day, yet resources are dwindling.

Medical infrastructure is virtually non-existent in the camps. Many have trekked for up to 20 days to find safety, arriving malnourished and exhausted. Without urgent intervention and a ceasefire, the displaced population faces a winter of starvation and disease in what has become a bottomless humanitarian pit.