Over 24 million people in Sudan, constituting half of the population, are experiencing acute food insecurity, according to a report by the UN food watchdog IPC. The report, looking ahead to the next three months, attributes the crisis to ongoing conflict and poor humanitarian access.
The war began in April 2023 amid tensions between the military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), causing widespread destruction and the largest displacement crisis in the nation’s history. The IPC uses five categories of food insecurity, reporting the most severe, catastrophic level in five regions, including Zamzam camp in North Darfur, which houses over 400,000 displaced individuals.
Similar conditions are reported in other camps like Abu Shouk and Al-Salam, and the Nuba Mountains. Five more regions in North Darfur are at risk of famine within six months, with 17 other regions also at risk.
Before the report, the Sudanese government suspended its participation in the global system, accusing the IPC of publishing “unreliable reports undermining Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity.” Sudan joins South Sudan and Somalia as countries experiencing famine in the past 15 years, with the ongoing war resulting in over 24,000 deaths and displacing more than 14 million people, about 30% of the population. The IPC also warned of famine in Gaza this summer, describing the situation there as catastrophic.
Source: NOS