By John Ikani
Sudan is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis, with 18 million people struggling to find food.
The UN warns a famine declaration could be imminent, but what does that really mean for the people of Sudan?
Famine: A Harsh Reality
Famine isn’t just about a lack of food. It’s when people have exhausted all options, such that even begging or selling their belongings won’t put food on their tables.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) uses a five-point scale to measure hunger severity. Famine is the most extreme (Phase 5), requiring three things:
- Limited access to basic food for 20% of households.
- Acute malnutrition in 30% of children.
- Daily deaths exceeding 2 per 10,000 people due to starvation, malnutrition, and disease.
Enablers of Famine
Conflict disrupts food production and access. People flee their homes, farms are destroyed, and food prices skyrocket.
Also, extreme weather events like droughts, like the one that hit the Horn of Africa in 2023, can trigger devastating famine.
In Sudan’s case, conflict is a major culprit. It has been approximately 12 months since the conflict in Sudan started
The conflict began in April 2023 and has persisted for a year, causing significant humanitarian crises and political instability.
Hostilities broke out from a power struggle within the military government, primarily between two rival factions: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemeti.
What Does Declaration of Famine Mean?
While a famine declaration raises awareness, it doesn’t guarantee immediate aid.
However, it can trigger international responses from the UN, other governments and NGOs who might provide food supplies or emergency funding.
Sudan Needs Urgent Help
Humanitarian organizations warn of a potential death toll of 222,000 children in Sudan due to malnutrition.
This crisis isn’t unique to Sudan, with several other countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Yemen at risk of famine.
The 2017 famine in South Sudan, where nearly 80,000 faced starvation due to civil war, serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of inaction.
Sudan desperately needs international help to avert a similar tragedy.
