Labour MP Nesil Caliskan has called on the Government to continue diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Sudan, warning that the country's civil war remains one of the gravest humanitarian crises in the world and that women and girls are facing horrific sexual violence.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Sudan, the Barking MP urged ministers to maintain pressure for an end to the fighting and to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches people trapped by the conflict.
Caliskan said:
"The Sudan Civil War is one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises the world has seen, with women and girls experiencing horrific sexual violence."
She added:
"I took part in a debate in Parliament asking the government to continue all its diplomatic efforts to help bring a ceasefire."
The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, is now in its fourth year. The House of Commons Library says the UN and UK Government have described Sudan as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
More than 33 million people need humanitarian help
The scale of the crisis remains immense.
The UK Government's latest assessment says 33.7 million people - around 65% of Sudan's population - require humanitarian assistance, while around 8.7 million people are internally displaced. Millions more have fled the country.
Humanitarian access remains severely constrained by insecurity, attacks on aid workers, shifting front lines and bureaucratic restrictions, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.
The Government also says large parts of the country continue to face acute food insecurity, with several areas at risk of famine.
Women and girls facing severe violence
Caliskan highlighted the particular impact of the conflict on women and girls.
The UK told the UN Security Council last month that civilians in Sudan continue to face attacks, torture, arbitrary detention and "horrifying sexual violence", alongside the destruction of essential services.
Reports of conflict-related sexual violence have become one of the most disturbing features of the war, with rights organisations warning that rape and other forms of abuse have been used against civilians in multiple parts of the country.
UK pushing for humanitarian truce and permanent ceasefire
The Government has said there can be no lasting end to the suffering without a humanitarian truce followed by a permanent ceasefire and an inclusive civilian-led political process.
Britain has been involved in international diplomatic efforts alongside partners including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Foreign Office minister Kirsty McNeill told Parliament this week that further announcements on UK support for the Sudanese people would be made "in due course".
The UK has also launched a £30 million humanitarian and resilience programme intended to strengthen local responders in more stable parts of conflict-affected Sudan between 2026 and 2029.
Caliskan calls for sustained pressure
For Caliskan, the central concern is that Sudan risks slipping from international attention even as the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic.
Her intervention adds to calls from MPs across Parliament for Britain to keep diplomatic pressure on the warring parties, improve humanitarian access and support Sudanese civilians and civil society.
Her message is that Sudan cannot be allowed to become a forgotten conflict - and that the UK should continue using its diplomatic influence to push for a ceasefire, protect civilians and get humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it.
