UN Food Agencies Warn of Worsening Hunger Crisis in Sudan

Recent Trends

In recent months, United Nations food agencies—primarily the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)—have reported a sharp deterioration in food security across Sudan. Key indicators include:

• Acute malnutrition rates rising in multiple states, particularly among displaced populations.
• Disruptions to local food production due to conflict and seasonal flooding.
• Supply chain breakdowns driving staple food prices beyond the reach of many households.
• A growing number of regions classified under Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 3 (Crisis) or Phase 4 (Emergency).

Background

Sudan has faced a protracted crisis combining armed conflict, economic instability, and climate-related shocks. Since the outbreak of large-scale hostilities in 2023, millions have been internally displaced, and agricultural livelihoods have been devastated. UN agencies have repeatedly appealed for unimpeded humanitarian access, but funding gaps and security constraints have limited the reach of food assistance. Past harvests have been below average, and livestock herds depleted.

User Concerns

For ordinary Sudanese households, the warnings translate into concrete daily struggles:

• Inability to afford basic food items such as sorghum, millet, and cooking oil.
• Increased reliance on emergency food rations, often insufficient in nutritional variety.
• Children and pregnant women facing higher risks of severe acute malnutrition.
• Farmers unable to plant or harvest due to active conflict or lack of inputs.
• Displaced families in camps with limited access to clean water, compounding hunger.

Likely Impact

If current trends persist, the following consequences are probable:

• Expansion of famine-like conditions (IPC Phase 5) to additional areas, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum outskirts.
• Increased child and maternal mortality from hunger and related diseases.
• Mass secondary displacement as people move in search of food.
• Strain on neighboring countries already hosting Sudanese refugees.
• Further collapse of local markets and informal trade networks.

What to Watch Next

Key developments to monitor in the coming weeks include:

• Whether the upcoming rainy season facilitates or hinders humanitarian deliveries and local planting.
• Level of donor pledges for the UN’s humanitarian response plan for Sudan.
• Ceasefire negotiations and their impact on access routes.
• IPC updates from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) and national authorities.
• Any new cross-border aid corridors or temporary truces for food distribution.