Key facts
- 19.5 million people, or 41% of Sudan's population, face high levels of acute food insecurity.
- Five million people are facing emergency levels of hunger.
- The number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could exceed 825,000 without immediate action.
- The war has displaced 14 million people since April 2023.
- Only 40% of Sudan's 2026 humanitarian needs plan was funded as of September.
The United States and 30 other Western nations have issued a joint statement warning of an "alarming deterioration" in food security in Sudan, urging the warring factions to allow humanitarian aid to prevent famine. The conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has displaced 14 million people and is described by the World Health Organization as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The statement highlights that 19.5 million people, or 41% of Sudan's population, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with five million facing emergency levels of hunger. Obstruction of aid and the effects of El Niño are exacerbating the crisis.