Khartoum is facing an environmental crisis that could threaten lives and slow the city’s recovery long after Sudan’s war ends, with polluted water, broken sanitation systems, destroyed forests and possible chemical contamination leaving behind a dangerous legacy of the fighting.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday warned that the damage to the capital’s environment is already putting people and ecosystems at risk, with sewage, stagnant water, destroyed natural areas and waste adding to the dangers created by the conflict.
Among the areas hardest hit is Sunut Forest, a six-square-kilometre wildlife reserve in central Khartoum. The forest was an important home for migratory birds and helped protect nearby areas from flooding from the White Nile.
Much of Sunut Forest has, however, been cleared as residents cut down acacia trees for firewood during the war.
Mouna Zein, a Khartoum native and deputy head of the UNEP office in Sudan, described the scale of the destruction after returning to the capital for the first time since fleeing the conflict in 2023.
“For lifelong residents like myself, this historic city of 8 million – the cultural heart of Sudan – is almost unrecognizable. Rubble blankets the streets. Pools of raw sewage fester in the sun. And bodies putrefy in the Nile, Khartoum’s main source of drinking water.”
The damage has also affected Khartoum’s National Botanical Garden, which once contained endangered plants, including the Dragon’s Blood Tree. The garden has been flattened.
UNEP warned that stagnant water and sewage have created conditions where mosquitoes that spread malaria can breed. Burned factories may also have released harmful chemicals into the air, soil and water, raising further concerns over pollution.
The destruction of forests and other natural areas has left the capital more exposed to future disasters. The loss of Sunut Forest, in particular, has weakened a natural barrier that helped reduce the impact of flooding.
The environmental crisis is unfolding as Sudan’s war continues to cause widespread destruction across the country.
The conflict began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti.
The fighting later spread to Darfur and other parts of Sudan, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The UN estimates that nearly 34 million people need humanitarian assistance, while UNHCR says about 14 million people have been displaced. Nearly 12 million of those displaced remain within Sudan, while more than 4.5 million have crossed the country’s borders in search of safety.
Famine has also been reported in parts of the country as the conflict continues.
The SAF controls much of eastern Sudan, while the RSF maintains significant control across Darfur.
The war has also forced about 12 million people from their homes, while 21 million face food insecurity.
Zein said repairing Khartoum’s environment must form part of efforts to rebuild the capital and help Sudan recover from the conflict.
“The first step in any cleanup will be restoring water and sanitation services, which would help stem the flow of pollution into the environment. Next, Khartoum must revive key ecosystems, like riverbanks, forests and floodplains, to reduce the risks of floods and other disasters.”
She said Sudan would also need to prepare for future environmental threats, including climate change, by improving planning and investing in nature-based solutions.
Zein warned that environmental recovery should not be pushed aside as the country deals with its wider humanitarian crisis.
“History has shown that conflict and environmental degradation can re-enforce each other in a dangerous cycle. Khartoum cannot return to being a functioning city with sewage covering its streets and floodwaters lapping at its doorsteps.”
She said rebuilding Sudan would therefore need to go beyond restoring homes and infrastructure, with environmental damage also addressed as part of efforts to secure lasting peace.
“In Sudan, the path to long-term peace must include the mending of the country’s environmental scars.”