WFP warns Sudan hunger crisis may worsen as war and Gulf shocks bite
The UN food agency says conflict, funding cuts and higher farm costs threaten aid gains in Sudan, where millions face acute hunger.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Sudan’s food crisis could deteriorate further as fighting, donor cuts and higher agricultural costs strain relief efforts, the World Food Programme said. The warning matters because the UN food agency says millions of people are already short of food and more than 100,000 remain in famine-like conditions.
Carl Skau, the WFP’s acting executive director, told Reuters on Tuesday that Sudan’s emergency is severe both in scale and intensity. He said the country remains the largest humanitarian emergency globally, with about five million people facing emergency or catastrophic hunger levels.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a UN-backed hunger monitoring system, says nearly 19.5 million people across Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity. Skau said more than 100,000 people are in IPC Phase 5, the system’s highest category, which covers famine or famine-like starvation conditions.
Aid gains under pressure
Skau said a major aid push had helped reduce the number of people living in famine-like conditions, but he warned that those gains are fragile. The WFP has cut the number of people it supports in Sudan from five million a year ago to about 3.5 million now, according to the agency.
The agency has also reduced food rations in several places, including Tawila in Darfur. Skau said the WFP faces a $646 million funding shortfall after reductions from major donors, including the United States, European countries and Britain.
Fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan has raised concern inside the WFP that the city could face conditions similar to el-Fasher in Darfur, Skau said. In el-Fasher, conflict and siege conditions trapped civilians and impeded relief deliveries during the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Violence around el-Obeid has eased in recent days, according to the WFP account, creating hope that aid operations in the area could reach 250,000 people, up from 100,000. The agency also said renewed fighting in Darfur over the past week forced the closure of the Tine border crossing from Chad, a key route into Darfur.
Hormuz disruption adds costs
Skau said disruption linked to the Gulf conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is adding another risk during Sudan’s planting season. He pointed to rising diesel prices and shortages of fertiliser as threats to domestic food production.
Sudan depends heavily on fertiliser imports from Gulf countries, according to the WFP. Much of its farming also relies on irrigation pumps, which can become unaffordable to run when diesel prices rise.
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces is entering its fourth year. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that the conflict has displaced millions, damaged large parts of the country and restricted humanitarian access.
Skau told Reuters that the overall trend is worsening despite earlier improvements in some famine-hit areas. The WFP said the combination of conflict, closed access routes, weaker funding and rising farm costs threatens to reverse progress against hunger.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.