KHARTOUM – Sudan is grappling with one of the world’s worst hunger crises in recent history, as famine spreads across the war-torn nation.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in multiple regions in a recent report, including North Darfur and the Kordofans, with projections of further deterioration in the coming months.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Sudan risks becoming the epicenter of a global hunger catastrophe, as 24.3 million people—roughly half the population—face acute food insecurity.
Among them, 638,000 are at catastrophic levels of hunger, the highest anywhere in the world.
WFP has launched a large-scale food aid operation, reaching over 800,000 people in famine-affected areas.
However, the organization estimates it needs an additional $510 million by May 2025 to sustain operations.
“This is a man-made disaster fueled by conflict and political strife,” said Molly Phee, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said on Friday.
Mrs. Molly Phee is the assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Nominee for Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation. Photo/ Courtesy
She emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian access to save millions from starvation, acute malnutrition, and death.
Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating war since April 15, 2023, when a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, erupted into open conflict.
The war has killed over 24,000 people and displaced more than 14 million—30 percent of Sudan’s population.
People waiting for trucks in Zamzam IDP camp have resorted to eating a paste made of crushed peanut shells usually used to feed livestock. WFP/Abubakar Garelnabei.
Over 3.2 million have fled to neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan, further straining regional stability.
The RSF, with approximately 100,000 soldiers, and the SAF, Sudan’s national army with 300,000 troops, have both been implicated in perpetuating the crisis.
The RSF, originally formed from government-backed militias accused of war crimes during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, has been accused of exacerbating famine conditions.
The international community has faced criticism for its handling of Sudan’s political crisis.
A December 2022 Framework Agreement, designed to merge the RSF into the SAF as part of a broader democratic transition, failed to reconcile the factions. Instead, it deepened mistrust, leading to the current humanitarian catastrophe.
The war has crippled infrastructure, including healthcare and sanitation services, compounding the suffering of millions.
Children have been particularly affected, with over one-third suffering from acute malnutrition, far exceeding the 20 percent threshold for famine confirmation.
Unloading WFP food assistance at Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur state. The food is part of a surge in WFP assistance to Sudan’s hunger hotspots. Photo: WFP/Mohamed Galal
Famine was first confirmed in August at North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and has since spread to four other areas.
Projections indicate famine could engulf five more regions in North Darfur between December 2024 and May 2025.
The US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs has attributed the crisis to both the SAF and RSF, urging immediate humanitarian access.
“The RSF, historically linked to the National Intelligence and Security Service, and the SAF bear responsibility for this man-made disaster,” said the division of the Department of State that advises the U. S. Secretary of State about sub-Saharan Africa.
Western nations, including the United States, have been urged to increase humanitarian funding and leverage diplomatic pressure to secure a ceasefire.
Sudan has fallen into a humanitarian catastrophe as the armed forces and RSF continue a violent power struggle Photo/ Rapid Support Forces (RSF) via AFP
“This is not just Sudan’s crisis; it’s a global moral imperative to act,” said WFP Sudan Deputy Country Director Alex Marianelli.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, the conflict shows no signs of abating.
Leni Kinzli, WFP’s spokesperson in Sudan said an estimated 4.7 million children aged under-5, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, are suffering from acute malnutrition.
“This relief comes not a minute too soon, and we must follow it with sustained international support or people will die of hunger,” said Kinzli.
Since September, WFP has delivered food assistance to an average of 2 million people each month across Sudan, with more expected to be served on a monthly basis by this latest surge effort.
Meanwhile, myriad checkpoints, militias, and armed and desperate communities along the way pose serious safety risks for the WFP trucks.
“While the aid in the first convoy (from the Adre crossing in Chad) was just a drop in the ocean compared to the needs, these trucks (from Port Sudan) are opening the door to expand access,” said Kinzli.
“We see that these corridors work – now it needs to become the norm for aid trucks to be on them, rather than the exception.”
Experts have pointed to the failed transition to civilian-led democracy as a root cause, dating back to the 2019 ousting of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir and the subsequent 2021 coup by al-Burhan and Hemedti.