What are the main security threats in Sudan right now?

Sudan is not safe for international travel right now. The country has been engulfed in active armed conflict since April 2023, with fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) causing widespread civilian casualties, mass displacement, and the near-total collapse of essential services. Organisations sending personnel to Sudan face some of the most severe travel risks anywhere in the world. The sections below address the specific threats, highest-risk areas, and the steps organisations must take before any deployment.

Is Sudan safe for international travel right now?

Sudan is not safe for international travel. The ongoing armed conflict between the SAF and the RSF has created a fluid, unpredictable security environment across most of the country. Most governments have issued their highest-level travel advisories for Sudan, advising against all travel. For organisations with a duty of care to travelling employees, Sudan represents one of the most demanding high-risk environments in the world today.

The conflict, which began in Khartoum in April 2023, has since spread well beyond the capital. Major cities including Omdurman, El Fasher, and Port Sudan have all experienced fighting or significant security disruption. Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply, with the United Nations describing the crisis as one of the worst displacement emergencies globally. As of 2026, there is no reliable ceasefire in place, and the security situation continues to shift with little warning.

For organisations that must maintain a presence in Sudan for humanitarian, journalistic, or commercial reasons, the baseline assumption must be that conditions can deteriorate rapidly and that standard travel protocols are wholly inadequate for this environment.

What are the main armed conflict risks in Sudan?

The primary armed conflict risk in Sudan is the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This conflict involves heavy weapons, airstrikes, artillery bombardment, and ground fighting in populated areas. Civilians, including foreign nationals, face direct risk from crossfire, indiscriminate shelling, and the collapse of law and order in contested zones.

Several specific conflict-related threats are particularly relevant to international travellers and deployed personnel:

Active front lines in urban areas: Fighting has taken place in densely populated neighbourhoods of Khartoum, Omdurman, and El Fasher, making safe movement within cities extremely difficult.
Airstrikes and shelling: Both parties to the conflict have conducted air and artillery strikes in residential and commercial areas, with limited warning.
Roadblocks and checkpoint violence: Armed groups operate checkpoints throughout the country. Foreign nationals have faced extortion, detention, and violence at these points.
Looting and breakdown of order: In areas where state authority has collapsed, widespread looting of businesses, NGO premises, and private residences has been reported.
Spillover into previously stable regions: The conflict has expanded from its origins in Khartoum and Darfur into areas that were previously considered lower risk, making historical assessments unreliable.

The unpredictability of front-line movements is one of the most dangerous features of this conflict. Areas that appear calm can become active combat zones within hours, leaving little time for evacuation if personnel are not already prepared.

How serious is the kidnapping and crime threat in Sudan?

The kidnapping and crime threat in Sudan is severe and has worsened significantly since the conflict began. The breakdown of law enforcement, the proliferation of armed actors, and the economic collapse have all contributed to a sharp rise in opportunistic and targeted criminal activity. Foreign nationals, particularly those perceived as wealthy or affiliated with international organisations, are at elevated risk.

Kidnapping for ransom is a documented threat, particularly in Darfur and areas where multiple armed factions operate. Beyond organised kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery, and home invasion have increased substantially in areas where police presence has effectively ceased. In some parts of Khartoum, criminal gangs have filled the security vacuum left by the conflict.

For organisations managing personnel in Sudan, the crime threat requires the same level of planning as the conflict threat. Safe houses, low-profile movement protocols, vetted local contacts, and clear communication procedures are essential. Personnel should avoid displaying any markers of wealth or international affiliation where possible, and all movements should be planned and monitored rather than improvised.

What humanitarian and medical risks do travellers face in Sudan?

The humanitarian and medical risks in Sudan are critical. The healthcare system has largely collapsed, with hospitals damaged, looted, or closed across many parts of the country. Medical supplies are severely limited, qualified medical personnel have fled in large numbers, and reliable medical evacuation is extremely difficult to arrange without pre-existing operational infrastructure in place.

Key medical and humanitarian risks include:

Collapsed healthcare infrastructure: Many hospitals in Khartoum and Darfur are non-functional. Those that remain open face chronic shortages of medicines, blood supplies, and surgical capacity.
Disease outbreaks: Cholera, malaria, and other infectious diseases have spread significantly due to the displacement of millions of people and the breakdown of water and sanitation systems.
Food and water insecurity: Access to clean water and food is severely restricted in many areas, creating conditions that increase health risk for anyone operating in the field for extended periods.
Mental health impact: Exposure to active conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crisis creates significant psychological risk for personnel deployed in these environments.
Limited medevac options: Commercial medical evacuation from Sudan is extremely difficult. Many commercial operators will not fly into active conflict zones, and airspace access is frequently disrupted.

Organisations deploying personnel to Sudan must have pre-arranged medical evacuation capability before any deployment begins, not as a contingency to arrange during a crisis. Waiting until a medical emergency occurs to identify evacuation options is not a viable approach in this environment.

Which regions of Sudan carry the highest security risk?

The highest-security-risk regions in Sudan are Khartoum State, Darfur (particularly North Darfur and El Fasher), and Kordofan. These areas have seen the most intense and sustained fighting, the greatest breakdown of civil order, and the highest concentration of armed actors operating outside any command structure.

Khartoum and surrounding areas

Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman form the capital region and have been at the centre of the conflict since its outbreak. Large parts of the city have been devastated by fighting. Infrastructure including bridges, roads, and utilities has been damaged or destroyed. Movement within the capital carries significant risk from both conflict and criminal activity.

Darfur

Darfur, particularly North Darfur and the city of El Fasher, has experienced some of the most severe violence of the conflict. El Fasher remains under siege and is one of the most dangerous locations in the country. The region has a long history of armed group activity and intercommunal violence that predates the current conflict, compounding the risk further.

Other regions, including Blue Nile State and South Kordofan, carry elevated risk due to the presence of armed groups and the potential for conflict to spread. Port Sudan, which has served as a relative safe haven and hub for humanitarian operations, has also experienced drone strikes and security incidents in 2025 and 2026, meaning no part of Sudan can be considered genuinely low risk.

What should organisations do before sending staff to Sudan?

Organisations should not send staff to Sudan without a comprehensive pre-deployment risk management framework in place. Given the severity of the threat environment, standard duty of care measures are insufficient. Any deployment requires specialist planning, pre-arranged emergency response capability, and continuous monitoring throughout the period of travel.

Essential steps before any deployment to Sudan include:

Commission a current threat and vulnerability assessment: Generic country risk ratings are not sufficient. Organisations need a granular assessment of the specific areas, routes, and activities involved in the planned deployment.
Establish a pre-arranged evacuation plan: Medical and security evacuation routes must be identified and contracted before deployment begins. This includes identifying extraction points, vetted local providers, and aviation options.
Brief all personnel on hostile environment protocols: Staff travelling to Sudan should complete Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) and receive a detailed pre-trip security briefing covering local threats, communication procedures, and emergency actions.
Implement real-time tracking and communication: All personnel must be trackable throughout their deployment, with clear check-in schedules and escalation procedures if contact is lost.
Identify vetted local contacts and safe houses: Trusted local networks are essential for intelligence, movement support, and emergency shelter if conditions deteriorate rapidly.
Ensure 24/7 operational support is in place: Organisations need access to a round-the-clock operations centre capable of monitoring conditions and coordinating a response at any hour.

Travel risk management for a high-risk environment like Sudan is not a document exercise. It requires operational infrastructure that can respond in real time when situations change.

How NGS supports organisations operating in Sudan

Northcott Global Solutions provides end-to-end travel risk management for organisations that must operate in high-risk environments like Sudan. The service is built around operational depth rather than advisory guidance alone, covering everything required before, during, and after a deployment.

Threat and vulnerability assessments calibrated to specific locations, routes, and activities within Sudan
Pre-deployment HEAT training and security briefings for all travelling personnel
Real-time traveller tracking via the Aurora platform, with live incident monitoring and geofencing
24/7 operations centre support with escalation capability at any hour
Medical and security evacuation with pre-arranged provider networks and aviation access
Mass emergency communication through SIREN, enabling immediate contact with all deployed personnel during a fast-moving crisis
Close protection and secure ground transportation for personnel who must move within the country

NGS has documented operational experience managing evacuations and crisis response across some of the world’s most demanding environments, including multiple operations across the Middle East and Africa. If your organisation needs to assess or manage exposure in Sudan, speak to the NGS team to discuss your requirements.