UN Warns 5 Million at Risk of Starvation in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict
Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
In March 2024, the United Nations raised an urgent alarm over Sudan’s escalating hunger crisis, warning that nearly 5 million people could face catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) in the coming months due to the ongoing war between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 12 million people, and devastated infrastructure, pushing Sudan toward what the World Food Programme (WFP) called “the world’s largest hunger crisis.” UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, in a letter to the Security Council, highlighted that 18 million Sudanese were already facing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) during the harvest season, a record high, with 730,000 children—including 240,000 in Darfur—suffering from severe malnutrition.
Famine Conditions and Obstacles to Aid
By August 2024, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine (IPC Phase 5) in five areas, including Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al Salam camps in North Darfur and parts of the Western Nuba Mountains, with projections indicating five additional areas, such as El Fasher, at risk by May 2025. UNICEF reported that 14 million children needed humanitarian aid, with 3.6 million acutely malnourished. The UN emphasized that both warring parties have obstructed aid, with the SAF blocking deliveries to RSF-controlled areas like Darfur and the RSF accused of looting and destroying harvests. Jill Lawler of UNICEF noted sufficient aid stocks in Port Sudan but highlighted access challenges, stating, “The problem is getting the aid to those in need.” X posts echoed the urgency, with users like tastefullysaucy warning, “Sudan could face the worst famine in 40 years without action.”
Calls for Ceasefire and Funding
UN officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric, stressed the need for “safe, rapid, sustained, and unimpeded access” across conflict lines and a “massive mobilization of resources.” The UN’s $2.7 billion 2024 humanitarian response plan was only 5% funded by March 2024, rising to 21% ($896 million) by July 2025 for the $4.2 billion 2025 plan, per UN News. Griffiths called the situation a “moment of truth,” urging a ceasefire during Ramadan 2024, a plea ignored despite a Security Council resolution. WFP’s Jean-Martin Bauer warned, “A protracted famine is taking hold,” with families in El Fasher resorting to eating animal fodder due to blocked aid routes. Human Rights Watch accused both factions of using starvation as a weapon, potentially a war crime.
Regional and International Implications
The crisis has spilled over to neighboring Chad and South Sudan, hosting 3.3 million Sudanese refugees. WFP reported 3 million acutely hungry in South Sudan and 1.2 million refugees in Chad at risk of losing aid due to funding shortages. WHO’s Hanan Balkhy noted looted health facilities in Darfur, exacerbating diseases like cholera, with 60,000 cases reported by May 2025. X posts reflected global concern, with sentiments like, “The world’s ignoring Sudan’s famine while kids starve” (@ishaantharoor). The UN’s 2025 plan aims to reach 21 million people, but without a ceasefire and increased funding—WFP alone needs $645 million—experts fear the crisis could dwarf past famines, like Ethiopia’s 1983-1985 disaster.
Critical Outlook
Sudan’s man-made crisis, driven by conflict and aid blockages, demands urgent international action. The UN and NGOs like CARE and IRC call for unhindered access and a ceasefire, but the SAF’s rejection of IPC findings and ongoing fighting, particularly in El Fasher, complicate relief efforts. Roland Marchal of RFI warned of a “depressing culture of death,” with little hope for accountability. As the lean season looms, the international community’s response will determine whether Sudan averts a catastrophic famine or faces an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
