About 19.5 million people in Sudan face acute hunger, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said, as the three-year war continues to drive the world’s worst hunger crisis.
The United Nations-backed monitor said the figure covers more than 40% of Sudan’s population, while 135,000 people face catastrophic hunger in 14 famine-risk areas across North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan.
Sudan, whose capital is Khartoum in northeast Africa, has endured fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. The war has displaced about 14 million people and devastated the economy and agriculture.
The IPC said al-Fashir and Kadugli faced famine last year, largely because of sieges. The Rapid Support Forces later took al-Fashir, while the army broke the siege of Kadugli.
The UN human rights office said drones had killed at least 880 civilians since January as fighting shifted toward aerial attacks on markets, hospitals, power stations and other civilian infrastructure.
The IPC warned that hostilities around supply routes, including El Obeid in North Kordofan, and the risk of renewed siege-like conditions could deepen food insecurity.
The monitor projected that 825,000 children would suffer severe acute malnutrition as insecurity, access limits and funding cuts disrupt aid deliveries. Sudan’s rainy season, expected around July, could worsen conditions during the lean planting period.
The Iran crisis could further increase food, fuel and fertiliser prices, reducing chances of a strong harvest later this year.
