Sudan faces escalating hunger crisis due to war and Hormuz disruption – WFP

Sudan is grappling with a deepening hunger crisis, exacerbated by ongoing conflict, reduced aid funding, and rising agricultural costs. Over 100,000 people are facing famine-like conditions, the highest level of the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

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It’s a massive crisis, both in terms of numbers, but also due to the gravity.

Carl Skau, the World Food Programme's acting executive director, described the situation as a "massive crisis" in terms of both numbers and severity. He noted that nearly 19.5 million people across Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity. Recent fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan had raised fears of a fate similar to el-Fasher in Darfur, where conflict and siege conditions trapped civilians and hindered aid deliveries.

However, violence has eased somewhat around el-Obeid, offering hope for expanded aid deliveries. The WFP is also concerned about renewed fighting in Darfur, which has closed the Tine border crossing, a vital route from Chad into the region. This resurgence of conflict threatens to undo previous gains made in combating famine.

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With these kinds of numbers in IPC 5 starvation, it is extremely, extremely serious.

The WFP has had to reduce the number of people it assists and cut rations due to a $646 million funding gap, with major donors like the United States, European countries, and Britain reducing contributions. "We're not heading in the right direction here. If anything, we are falling backwards," Skau stated. Soaring diesel prices and fertilizer shortages, linked to conflicts in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, further threaten Sudan's food security.

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We’re not heading in the right direction here. If anything, we are falling backwards.