UN Warns 55 Million Face Hunger Across Sudan and Nigeria

Nearly 55 million people across Sudan and Nigeria face acute food insecurity as protracted conflicts, violence, and severe funding shortfalls cripple humanitarian response efforts. The United Nations and its agencies issued stark warnings about the compounding crises, with Secretary-General António Guterres calling for international action to address climate shocks and conflicts across Africa. In Sudan, where civil war has entered its fourth year, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported that approximately 135,000 people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity across 14 hotspots in Darfur and South Kordofan, with nearly 20 million facing acute hunger overall. An estimated 825,000 children under five are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2026. Violence continues to intensify the crisis; an armed drone strike on a market in West Kordofan killed 28 people on May 20. The Sudanese army denied targeting civilians, though the area is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. In Nigeria, OCHA warned that 35 million people — nearly one in seven — are likely to face acute food insecurity during the lean season from June to August, with 6.4 million children projected to suffer acute malnutrition. Funding gaps remain critical across both crises. Sudan's 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 20 percent funded, while Nigeria's 516 million USD plan has received just 215 million USD, or roughly 40 percent. Guterres specifically urged the cessation of hostilities in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and demanded the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to protect African oil and fertilizer imports.