Half of Sudan’s population, more than 24.6 million people, are facing severe food insecurity, as reported by the IPC initiative, which monitors extreme hunger globally. The IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC) has identified areas, including North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and parts of the Western Nuba Mountains, where famine (IPC phase 5) is currently present.
The crisis is expected to worsen, with five more areas in North Darfur projected to experience famine between December 2024 and May 2025. Additionally, 17 other regions, especially those with a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), are at risk of famine, including parts of North and South Darfur, Khartoum, and Al Jazirah states.
Most extreme human suffering
The IPC report emphasizes that famine represents a catastrophic collapse of essential systems and resources for survival. It is not just about food scarcity but a breakdown in health, livelihoods, and social structures, plunging entire communities into despair.
Conflict has severely disrupted farming activities in many areas, with farmers forced to abandon fields and crops looted or destroyed. This has left displaced families, particularly those in settlements and public buildings, without access to harvest benefits.
As a result, 8.1 million people are classified in IPC phase 4 (emergency) and 638,000 are in phase 5 (catastrophe), adding to 15.9 million in phase 3 (crisis).
Conflict a key driver
The ongoing conflict, which erupted last April between rival militaries vying for power, has displaced over 12 million people, exacerbating food insecurity and overwhelming host communities. The brutal fighting continues to cause civilian casualties, sexual violence, and destruction of essential infrastructure.
Deadly diseases like cholera are spreading rapidly amid a breakdown in essential services, including healthcare and clean water.
Urgent recommendations
The IPC report stresses the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent the crisis from escalating further. It also calls for safe and sustainable humanitarian access in conflict zones, increased multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance, treatment for malnutrition, provision of agricultural inputs for vulnerable households, and detailed food security and nutrition surveys in unassessed areas to improve response efforts.
