Sudan is plunging deeper into a severe hunger crisis as starvation and acute malnutrition worsen across the nation, according to an independent food security panel. Experts warn the situation is rapidly escalating into a humanitarian disaster.
Famine has now engulfed five regions, leaving nearly 25 million people—around half of Sudan’s population—in urgent need of food assistance, according to the group’s findings.
The crisis stems from Sudan’s prolonged civil war, which has persisted for 20 months. Efforts to negotiate peace between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have so far yielded no results.
The war traces back to a coup in 2021, where the military and RSF initially worked together to seize control. However, infighting between their leaders erupted into a full-scale conflict in 2023, leaving the country in chaos.
Sudan now faces one of the gravest humanitarian crises globally, with the UN-supported Famine Review Committee (FRC) warning that the devastation could deepen further if the fighting continues.
The FRC operates under the Integrated Food Phase Classification (IPC), an international framework supported by aid agencies, governments, and UN bodies to monitor and classify famine conditions.
On Monday, Sudan’s military administration announced it was cutting ties with the IPC. The government accused the organization of spreading “unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity,” according to Reuters.
The IPC first confirmed a famine in August at Zamzam camp in Darfur, where nearly half a million displaced people had sought refuge.
In its most recent report, the FRC highlighted that famine has since spread to two additional camps—Abu Shouk and al-Salam, located in Darfur’s conflict-ridden city of el-Fasher—as well as two areas in South Kordofan.
“Famine is the most extreme manifestation of human suffering, representing a catastrophic collapse of the systems and resources essential for survival,” the FRC noted.
“It is not merely a lack of food but a profound breakdown of health, livelihoods, and social structures, leaving entire communities in a state of desperation,” the report added.
The committee warned that famine could spread to five more regions in Darfur by May, with the risk of it reaching 17 other areas if the conflict persists.
The violence has particularly devastated Darfur and South Kordofan, where intense fighting has led to widespread atrocities. Civilians have faced killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence while their resources are plundered.
In May, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, stated that estimates suggest as many as 150,000 people may have died in the conflict, adding to the grim toll of this war-torn nation.
