Sudan's Hunger Crisis: A Closer Look at the Famine Spreading Across the Nation

Sudan is currently grappling with a severe hunger crisis, with famine now spreading to two additional regions. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global authority on hunger, has identified el-Fasher in Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan province as the latest areas affected.

Dire Situation in El-Fasher and Kadugli

El-Fasher has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for 18 months, cutting off food and other supplies to tens of thousands of people. The RSF recently seized el-Fasher, reportedly killing hundreds.
Kadugli has also been under siege for months, with tens of thousands of people trapped as the RSF tries to seize more territory from the Sudanese military.

Ongoing War and Its Devastating Impact

The war in Sudan has been ongoing since April 2023, with:

Over 40,000 people killed
14 million displaced

The fighting has also fueled disease outbreaks, exacerbating the already dire situation. The IPC report states that el-Fasher and Kadugli have experienced:

A total collapse of livelihoods
Starvation
Extremely high levels of malnutrition and death

Criteria for Famine

Famine is determined by specific criteria, including:

Deaths from malnutrition-related causes
Severe lack of food
High levels of acute malnutrition in children

The IPC has confirmed famine only a few times, most recently in northern Gaza earlier this year.

Alarming Statistics

375,000 people have been pushed into famine in Darfur and Kordofan as of September.
6.3 million people across Sudan are facing extreme levels of hunger.
Towns near el-Fasher, including Tawila, Melit, and Tawisha, are at risk of famine.
Thousands fleeing el-Fasher have been arriving in these locations, with aid groups reporting catastrophic levels of malnutrition among the arrivals.

RSF's Strategic Focus

The RSF has turned its focus to the Darfur region and Kordofan to secure supply lines toward the country's center. Save the Children reported that food supplies had run out in Kadugli, with fighting escalating. Another Kordofan town, Dilling, has reportedly experienced the same conditions as Kadugli, but the IPC did not announce famine there due to a lack of data.

Widespread Food Insecurity

Across Sudan:

Over 21 million people, or 45% of the population, faced acute food insecurity as of September.
The IPC called for a ceasefire as the sole measure that can prevent further loss of life and help contain the extreme levels of acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition.