Full Breakdown
Sudan’s Hunger Crisis Deepens Amid War, Aid Cuts and Gulf-Region Disruptions
7/15/2026, 1:26:32 AM
War-Driven Deterioration and Funding Shortfalls
The four-year conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced millions and devastated agricultural production. In recent weeks fighting around al-Obeid in North Kordofan and renewed clashes in Darfur have forced the closure of the Tine border crossing from Chad, limiting humanitarian access. At the same time, major donors—including the United States, European nations and Britain—have reduced contributions, leaving the World Food Programme (WFP) with a $646 million funding gap. Consequently, the agency has cut the number of people it assists from five million a year ago to about 3.5 million and reduced rations in several locations.
Scale of Food Insecurity
- Approximately five million Sudanese face emergency or catastrophic hunger levels.
- Nearly 19.5 million people are classified as having high acute food insecurity by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
- More than 100 000 individuals remain in IPC Phase 5 (famine-like) conditions, the highest severity rating.
WFP’s Assessment and Outlook
Acting WFP executive director Carl Skau warned that the situation is “not heading in the right direction,” noting that aid deliveries could expand from 100 000 to 250 000 people around al-Obeid if violence eases. He highlighted additional threats: soaring diesel prices and fertilizer shortages tied to the Gulf conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Sudan’s agriculture depends heavily on imported fertilizer and irrigation pumps; higher costs could impede planting this season, further undermining food security.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's a massive crisis, both in terms of numbers, but also the gravity,” — Carl Skau, WFP acting executive director
- “With these kinds of numbers in IPC 5 starvation, it is extremely, extremely serious,” — Carl Skau
- “We're not heading in the right direction here,” — Carl Skau
- “If anything, we are falling backwards.” — Carl Skau
- “Sudan relies heavily on fertilizer imports from Gulf countries, while much of its agriculture depends on irrigation pumps, which may be too expensive for farmers to run.” — Carl Skau
These statements underscore how the intersection of protracted conflict, shrinking humanitarian resources, and external market shocks is pushing Sudan toward a deeper hunger emergency.
