The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a significant contribution of US$7 million from the Republic of Korea to support vulnerable communities in Sudan. This funding will provide critical food and nutrition assistance in areas affected by famine, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. The contribution is part of the joint Korea-WFP initiative, “Responding with Emergency Assistance for Conflict-affected Households” (REACH), aimed at expanding food and nutrition support for families in hard-to-reach regions, including Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum states.
Laurent Bukera, WFP Sudan Country Director, highlighted the dire situation, noting that over half of Sudan’s population faces acute hunger. He emphasized that the timely contribution from Korea would help save lives in the most inaccessible areas and expressed gratitude for the support provided to Sudanese communities.
The funding will enable WFP to deliver cash transfers to nearly 90,000 people over two months, allowing families in conflict zones to purchase food while supporting local markets. Additionally, lifesaving nutrition support will be provided to approximately 30,000 malnourished children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers for three months.
H.E. NAMGUNG Hwan, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sudan, stated that Korea is committed to addressing global humanitarian crises and strengthening partnerships with international organizations like WFP. He expressed hope that the US$7 million contribution would help alleviate the suffering of those affected by Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
This contribution represents the largest from the Republic of Korea to WFP in Sudan in recent years, building on an existing partnership that has already provided US$10 million since 2022 for emergency food assistance and the WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service. Korea remains one of WFP’s top ten government donors globally.
Sudan currently faces the world’s largest hunger crisis, with around 25 million people experiencing acute hunger, including 638,000 in catastrophic conditions. Famine was first confirmed over a year ago in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, and the crisis continues to worsen as conflict escalates in Darfur and Kordofan. WFP urgently requires US$658 million to sustain operations over the next six months, with funding gaps already limiting assistance to only the most extreme cases.
