Sudan's deepening hunger

Millions of people in Sudan are now surviving on one meal a day as war, displacement and blocked trade push more areas toward famine. (reuters.com) A report released on Monday, April 13, by Action Against Hunger, CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps and the Norwegian Refugee Council said families in North Darfur and South Kordofan are among the hardest hit. The groups said people are crossing active front lines just to farm, trade or reach markets. (actionagainsthunger.org) The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces enters its third year on Wednesday, April 15. United Nations agencies said last week that about 14 million people have been displaced and about 21 million are facing acute food insecurity. (news.un.org) The food system is breaking down at every step. Aid groups said fighting has cut farmers off from fields, traders off from roads, and families off from markets, while local prices and transport risks keep climbing. (care.org) The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis found that 21.2 million people faced crisis-level hunger or worse at the September 2025 lean-season peak, including 6.3 million in emergency conditions and 375,000 in catastrophe. It projected 19.1 million people would still face crisis-level hunger or worse between February and May 2026, with some of the worst areas impossible to classify because of insecurity. (ipcinfo.org) Famine has already been confirmed in parts of Sudan. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the United Nations Children's Fund said famine conditions were confirmed in Al Fasher and Kadugli, with risks spreading across other parts of Darfur and Kordofan. (unicef.org) Aid agencies say hunger is being driven not only by crop losses but by siege tactics and access restrictions. Reuters reported that nongovernmental groups accused both sides of using starvation as a weapon, while the army-aligned government denied famine exists and the Rapid Support Forces denied responsibility. (reuters.com) Money is also running short. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was only a little over 15 percent funded as of March 13, limiting the scale-up of aid as violence worsened in Darfur. (unocha.org) The result is a country where hunger follows displacement, and displacement deepens hunger. Aid groups said families are eating less, selling assets, and taking greater risks just to secure food in places where the next harvest, market trip or aid convoy is no longer assured. (nrc.no)