IPC Warns of Growing Famine Risk Across Sudan

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned on October 13, 2026, that famine risk is growing across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan in Sudan. The crisis is driven by the ongoing war between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces, alongside a severe El Niño-induced drought affecting roughly half the country. This drought has wiped out crops, reduced food availability, and driven up prices, with Western Kordofan experiencing one of its worst droughts since 2004.

Nutrition surveys reveal critical levels of acute malnutrition. In South Darfur, two displacement camps reported malnutrition rates of 38% and 30.8%, both exceeding the 20% famine threshold. In Nyala, severe acute malnutrition admissions for children doubled from 5% to 11% between January and August. As of May, nearly 19.5 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity, with 135,000 in the most severe Phase 5 classification.

Aid delivery is severely hindered by restricted access, violence against aid workers, and a 57% funding gap in the humanitarian response plan. The IPC Famine Review Committee characterized the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe" of historic proportions, calling for an end to the fighting and a large-scale increase in flexible funding to prevent intensifying mortality.

Separately, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced a campaign to confront illegal mining in the Eastern Desert. This follows reports from Emergency Lawyers that an airstrike killed 72 civilian miners in Sudan's North Wadi area.