Acute malnutrition among children has reached catastrophic levels in parts of Sudan’s North Darfur and Greater Kordofan, according to UN-backed analysts. Conflict, mass displacement, and restricted humanitarian access are driving the country closer to a famine-risk emergency.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that thresholds for acute malnutrition were surpassed in two areas of North Darfur—Um Baru and Kernoi—following the fall of El Fasher in October 2025. December assessments found child malnutrition rates of 52.9 percent in Um Baru, nearly double the famine threshold, and about 34 percent in Kernoi. While the alert does not constitute a formal famine classification, it signals rapidly deteriorating conditions requiring urgent intervention.
Um Baru and Kernoi, located in remote areas near displacement corridors toward Chad, have absorbed large numbers of civilians fleeing fighting in and around El Fasher. The ongoing war between Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has disrupted markets, livelihoods, and essential health, water, and nutrition services nationwide.
Projections indicate that nearly 4.2 million cases of acute malnutrition, including over 800,000 severe cases, are expected in 2026—representing a sharp increase from 2025. Earlier IPC analyses confirmed famine in El Fasher in 2024 and Kadugli, South Kordofan, in 2025, with famine-like conditions now likely spreading to additional areas due to continued fighting and displacement.
Greater Kordofan is particularly at risk, with renewed conflict displacing more than 88,000 people since late October, pushing total displacement over one million. Markets in the region are among the least functional in Sudan, and food prices remain far above national averages. IPC experts warn that without an immediate end to hostilities and expanded humanitarian access, preventable deaths are expected to rise significantly.
