As Sudan marks three years of devastating conflict, millions of people continue to endure severe hardship, with ongoing violence leaving civilians dead, injured, and struggling to survive without access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and sanitation. The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the humanitarian situation remains critical, with the international community failing to effectively end the conflict or protect civilians from worsening conditions.
Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the WFP, recently returned from Darfur and described the dire situation faced by displaced communities. He emphasized that families living in camps have fled their homes with nothing and are now surviving in extremely poor conditions, urging stronger global action to ensure they receive the support they urgently need.
More than 19 million people across Sudan are currently facing acute hunger, with famine threatening several regions as violence, displacement, and economic collapse persist. Entire communities have been cut off from food supplies, markets, and humanitarian aid, while children have lost access to education for three consecutive years, putting their future at serious risk. Sudan remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with nearly two-thirds of its population in urgent need of assistance.
The hunger crisis is being further aggravated by instability in the Red Sea region, which is disrupting supply chains and delaying essential imports. These disruptions have driven up the cost of food, fuel, and fertilizers, with fuel prices in Sudan rising by more than 24 percent. As a result, many families can no longer afford even the most basic food items, deepening food insecurity nationwide.
Humanitarian operations are also being affected, as delays in shipments and increased transportation costs hinder aid delivery. The combined impact of these challenges is pushing already vulnerable communities further into crisis.
Skau highlighted that many women across Sudan are unable to feed their children and lack access to essential services. While the WFP and its partners have the expertise to scale up assistance, he stressed that safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, along with increased funding, is urgently required.
Despite the challenges, the WFP continues to provide support, reaching approximately 3.5 million people each month with emergency food, cash, and nutrition assistance. A significant portion of this aid is directed toward regions such as Darfur and Kordofan, where famine conditions have been confirmed and conflict remains most intense. Last year alone, more than two million children under five and over 500,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women received nutritional support.
In addition to emergency aid, the WFP is working to strengthen local food systems by supporting farmers. During the last harvest season, farmers assisted by the agency produced nearly one-fifth of Sudan’s wheat, helping to stabilize food supplies and support the local economy.
However, funding shortages are severely impacting operations. Food assistance has already declined by 14 percent since January compared to last year, and the WFP urgently requires more than $600 million to sustain life-saving programs in Sudan over the next six months.
