With famine gripping parts of Darfur and millions displaced, the World Food Programme urges immediate action to prevent catastrophe.
Sudan is facing the world’s worst hunger crisis, with nearly 25 million people—half the country’s population—experiencing extreme food insecurity. As the civil war rages into its second year, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns that famine has already taken hold in parts of the country and is expected to spread unless urgent aid access is granted and funding is restored.
The WFP has issued an urgent plea to all parties involved in Sudan’s ongoing conflict to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid and allow relief workers to reach isolated communities. The war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced millions and crippled basic services across the country.
Famine Taking Hold in Darfur
One of the most severely affected areas is ZamZam camp in North Darfur, where famine conditions were first detected in August 2024. Located in a region long plagued by violence, ZamZam is home to tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs), many of whom fled earlier waves of conflict over the past two decades.
“The situation is catastrophic,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s Sudan Regional Emergency Coordinator. “Two years since the onset of the war, Sudan has now become the world’s largest hunger crisis. Nearly half the population are acutely food insecure. Famine has taken hold in parts of Darfur and is spreading.”
According to Hughes, the WFP’s ability to respond effectively is being severely hampered by both access constraints and a chronic lack of funding. “In order to turn the tide, WFP needs access in order to reach people that have been isolated by the conflict—and we also need funding,” he said.
Mass Displacement and Humanitarian Collapse
The Sudanese civil war has forced more than 13 million people from their homes, with approximately 8 million now classified as internally displaced. Millions more have fled across borders into neighboring countries, including Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, where they are also in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
Refugee camps are struggling to cope with the influx of new arrivals. Food, clean water, medical care, and sanitation are in critically short supply, and aid workers report that children are dying of hunger-related causes every day.
The WFP and other humanitarian agencies have repeatedly called for the opening of humanitarian corridors and the protection of aid convoys. However, both sides in the conflict have been accused of obstructing relief efforts, with reports of looting, violence against aid workers, and bureaucratic delays that prevent essential supplies from reaching those in need.
Global Aid Cuts Deepen the Crisis
Compounding the crisis is a significant drop in international humanitarian funding. Global aid budgets have come under increasing pressure in recent years, and Sudan has been particularly affected.
A key factor in the funding shortfall was the reduction of U.S. development assistance, including cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), first enacted by former President Donald Trump shortly after taking office. While some funding has since been restored, large gaps remain, leaving agencies like the WFP scrambling to maintain even the most basic levels of support.
WFP officials have emphasized that addressing famine in Sudan requires more than just food aid. “We know that it is not possible to stop a famine with food alone,” said Hughes. “You need health care. You need water. You need sanitation. So the whole response needs to be well supported in order to be able to turn this around and stem the tide of famine.”
Children at Risk of Starvation
Among the most vulnerable in Sudan’s hunger crisis are children. Malnutrition rates have skyrocketed across the country, with humanitarian groups warning that an entire generation is at risk of stunted growth, severe illness, or death.
UNICEF estimates that more than 3 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition in Sudan. In some areas, the rate of severe acute malnutrition—often referred to as the tipping point before death—is well above the emergency threshold set by the World Health Organization.
Medical facilities, where they still exist, are overwhelmed and often lack the supplies or staff necessary to treat malnourished children. Mobile clinics operated by NGOs are often the only source of healthcare in some regions, but their reach is limited, and ongoing violence puts staff at constant risk.
Calls for International Mobilization
As Sudan’s crisis worsens, the WFP is calling for a coordinated international response that prioritizes both immediate relief and long-term support for recovery. The agency warns that without sustained funding and unobstructed access, famine will continue to spread—and the death toll will rise dramatically.
Experts argue that the global community must treat the Sudan crisis with the same urgency and visibility as other major humanitarian disasters. Despite the scale of suffering, Sudan has received relatively little media attention or diplomatic focus compared to conflicts in Ukraine or Gaza, and aid pledges have lagged far behind what is needed.
Humanitarian leaders stress that the consequences of inaction will be devastating. “This is not just a crisis—it is a catastrophe unfolding in real time,” said Hughes. “We must act now to prevent more lives from being lost.”
A Looming Tragedy That Can Still Be Prevented
Though the situation is dire, aid agencies believe that mass starvation is still preventable—if the international community responds swiftly and decisively. The WFP is urging donor governments to restore funding levels, facilitate cross-border and domestic aid access, and pressure the warring factions in Sudan to respect international humanitarian law.
Time is running out for millions of Sudanese families who are caught in a conflict they did not choose, suffering from a famine they cannot escape. As the war continues with no end in sight, the world must not look away.
