World Food Programme Warns of Catastrophic Hunger Crisis in Sudan

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that Sudan is currently experiencing the largest hunger crisis in the world. Approximately 19.5 million people face acute food insecurity, with more than 100,000 individuals in catastrophe conditions, defined as IPC Phase 5 starvation. This emergency is the result of a four-year civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Funding cuts from the United States, Britain, and European countries have left the WFP with a $646 million deficit. Consequently, the agency has been forced to reduce the number of people receiving assistance from 5 million to 3.5 million. Humanitarian access is further restricted by active fighting in Darfur, which recently closed the Tine border crossing from Chad, and ongoing sieges in cities such as Al Fashir and El Obeid.

External geopolitical factors are exacerbating the domestic collapse. Tensions and closures in the Strait of Hormuz have spiked diesel prices and caused fertilizer shortages, crippling the current planting season. WFP officials describe the situation as a massive crisis where the international response is falling backwards.