Sudan’s War Leaves Thousands Missing: Families Search Amid Forensic and Humanitarian Challenges

Since the fighting erupted on 15 April 2023, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has documented roughly 8,000 missing persons linked to the current war and about 11,000 missing across Sudan’s broader conflicts. In Khartoum state, authorities have exhumed and reburied nearly 30,000 of an estimated 50,000 hastily interred bodies, with only 10 % identified.

Red Cross ‘engaging with Sudan’s warring parties’ as roll of missing tops 8,000

Azaher Abdallah has searched for her husband, Fahmy al-Fateh, who vanished from a Khartoum base on a motorcycle; her son now shouts at every passing bike. Mother Sulafa Mustafa circulates photos of her missing son, Suleiman Abdalsid, and rents a microphone to call his name. After the RSF delayed burial for three weeks, Abubakar Alswai finally moved his brother Mohamed’s body to a public cemetery.

Associated Press

The ICRC’s Adnan Azam said the agency has recorded 8,000 missing since the war began and is maintaining dialogue with all parties to secure unhindered humanitarian access, emphasizing that such access is essential under international humanitarian law. Khartoum’s forensic medicine director-general Hisham Zienalabdien reported ongoing exhumations, DNA preservation and reburial of bodies to provide dignified interments and improve identification.

ICRC: 8,000 Missing Since Start of Sudan Conflict

Families criticize the three-week RSF delay in allowing Mohamed Alsawi’s burial and the scarcity of functional DNA laboratories, which hampers rapid identification. Psychologist Nathalie Nyamukeba of the ICRC notes that ambiguous loss intensifies vulnerability, while displaced residents report stolen phones and collapsed networks that prevent relatives from confirming each other’s status.

Red Cross ‘engaging with Sudan’s warring parties’ as roll of missing tops 8,000

The ICRC cites 8,000 missing in the current conflict, while other sources aggregate about 11,000 missing across Sudan’s multiple wars, reflecting different accounting scopes. Authorities report moving roughly 30,000 of an estimated 50,000 hastily buried bodies, yet only 10 % have been positively identified, underscoring gaps in forensic capacity and data completeness.

Red Cross ‘engaging with Sudan’s warring parties’ as roll of missing tops 8,000

• “He was the most precious thing in my life,” — Azaher Abdallah, wife of Fahmy al-Fateh

Associated Press

• “I haven’t lost faith in finding you,” — Sulafa Mustafa, mother of Suleiman Abdalsid

Associated Press

• “Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hisham Zienalabdien, director general of the forensic medicine department for Khartoum state, said they are saving DNA from unidentified bodies in hopes of one day being able to match it with relatives.” — Hisham Zienalabdien, director-general, Khartoum forensic medicine department

New Haven Register

The forensic department plans to expand DNA preservation and matching as laboratory capacity is restored. The ICRC aims to facilitate more than 80,000 phone calls in the first quarter of 2026, reconnecting families across Sudan, South Sudan and Chad. Continued exhumations and sustained pressure for unhindered humanitarian access remain central to resolving the missing-persons crisis.

ICRC: 8,000 Missing Since Start of Sudan Conflict