According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, more than 21 million people in Sudan are suffering from high levels of acute food insecurity, marking the world’s largest hunger crisis. Famine conditions have taken hold in El Fasher, North Darfur, and Kadugli, South Kordofan, where families are trapped and forced to survive on leaves, animal feed, and grass. The analysis estimates that around 375,000 people are facing catastrophic hunger, meaning they are on the brink of starvation. These findings were reviewed and confirmed by the IPC’s independent Famine Review Committee, which classifies food crises on a five-point scale, with Phase 5—famine—representing extreme deprivation, malnutrition, and rising deaths.
The humanitarian situation in El Fasher has reached a breaking point. Following the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia’s recent takeover after more than 500 days of siege, hundreds of civilians, including aid workers, have been killed, and many remain trapped. The city is completely sealed off, with food, medicine, and relief supplies blocked, despite urgent UN appeals for safe access. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) condemned the obstruction as unacceptable and called for immediate humanitarian corridors. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 71,000 people have fled El Fasher and nearby areas since late October, many reporting killings, abductions, and sexual violence during their escape. Conditions in Tawila, around 70 kilometers away, where most displaced families have sought refuge, remain dire with little food, shelter, or clean water.
In Kordofan, violence has also intensified, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. UNICEF reported that missile strikes in Kadugli last Friday killed at least eight children sheltering in displacement camps, highlighting the growing dangers faced by civilians.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Denise Brown, described the situation as “catastrophic” for civilians trapped between warring parties, cut off from assistance, and enduring widespread hunger. She renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, protection of civilians, and unrestricted humanitarian access. However, with only 28 per cent of Sudan’s $4.16 billion humanitarian response plan funded this year—and global donor support at a record low—many life-saving operations are at risk of collapse. The UN has warned that without an end to the fighting and a massive scale-up of aid, millions more Sudanese could face starvation in the coming months.
