International experts have painted a bleak picture for Sudan, revealing in a recent report that 755,000 individuals could face famine in the coming months amidst continuous clashes between rival generals.
According to senior United Nations officials, the ongoing conflict has led to a hunger crisis not seen since the Darfur conflict of the early 2000s.
The findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification a coalition formed during the 2004 Somalia famine, now comprising over a dozen U.N. agencies, aid organizations, governments, and other entities.
The report highlighted that 8.5 million people are experiencing severe food shortages after 14 months of conflict, with hunger spreading to Khartoum and Jazira province, Sudan’s former breadbasket.
There is increasing warnings about the imminent famine in Sudan.
A National Director for World Vision, one of the leading aid groups in Sudan, John Makoni commented, “It is truly heartbreaking to see food scarcity and deprivation on the rise. We have a looming catastrophic situation that is quickly approaching.”
The country plunged into turmoil in April of last year when tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into widespread fighting in Khartoum and other regions.
The conflict has resulted in over 14,000 deaths and 33,000 injuries, according to U.N. reports, though rights activists believe the true toll may be higher.
The war has caused the largest displacement crisis globally, with over 11 million people forced from their homes. U.N. human rights experts have accused both sides of using food and starvation as weapons of war.
The hunger report indicates that those facing the highest level of starvation in the coming months are in 10 provinces, including Khartoum, the Darfur and Kordofan regions, and the provinces of Blue Nile and Jazira.
This figure has surged from zero in June 2023 to 755,000.
“The conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply routes, market systems, and agricultural production, it has also severely limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already dire situation,” the report stated.
An additional 8.5 million people are in Phase 4, the second-worst level of starvation, facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition, and high disease levels, the IPC report said.
Overall, 25.6 million people, more than half of Sudan’s 47 million population, face “crisis or worse conditions” between June and September.
The report warns of potential famine in 14 areas if the conflict intensifies, including through increased militia mobilization.
“The situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection,” the report emphasized, referring to Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Jazira.
Head of the World Food Program, Cindy McCain, warned that the current crisis, unlike the Darfur conflict, affects the entire country and threatens to destabilize the Horn of Africa region.
“We urgently need a massive expansion of humanitarian access and funding so we can scale-up our relief operations, and halt Sudan’s slide into a humanitarian catastrophe,” she said.
The conflict has severely impacted Sudan’s future, leaving at least 17 million children out of school as over 90% of schools are closed. About 4 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 at imminent risk of death, according to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Russell, who recently visited Sudan, stated, “The consequences of the violence, of the displacement of the, you know, lack of food, the lack of security is just devastating for women and children in Sudan.” She noted that UNICEF requires $840 million to continue operations, while the U.N.’s $4.1 billion humanitarian appeal for the year was only 16% funded as of June.
“It’s important for the international community to realize that we have to get more resources to Sudan,” Russell said. “But we also need to push the parties, hopefully, to peace. That’s really, at the end of the day. what we need here.”
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including rape, gang rape, and ethnically motivated attacks, which rights groups classify as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Recently, the fighting has spread to new regions, including agricultural hubs like Jazira province, which the RSF seized last year.
The CEO of Mercy Corps,Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, highlighted the devastating impact of the expanded fighting on food production, leading to severe malnutrition among vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, the chronically ill, and the elderly.
“Sudan has become one of the world’s largest and most ignored man-made tragedies,” McKenna said. “This crisis demands urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.”
Director-General of the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, QU Dongyu, noted that the IPC report illustrates “a deepening and rapid deterioration of the food security situation in Sudan with millions of people’s lives at risk.”
