One in Five Sudanese Face Emergency Food Insecurity
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has raised concerns about the food crisis in Sudan, as the country continues to be plagued by conflicts between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (HDK) since April 2023. Ghebreyesus shared on social media that 1 in 5 people in Sudan are facing emergency level food insecurity, with 755 thousand people experiencing catastrophic hunger and 25.6 million facing acute hunger, marking the worst hunger levels ever recorded by the Integrated Food Security Stage Classification (IPC).
The power struggle between the army and HDK, who jointly staged a coup against the civilian government following the ousting of Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power, has resulted in more than 16 thousand deaths, 10 million displaced individuals, and over 25 million people in need of humanitarian aid in Sudan. This ongoing conflict has led to what is described as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
In response to the alarming food security projections for Sudan, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for an immediate ceasefire to ensure access to sustainable humanitarian aid and expand the humanitarian response to assist those in need. The latest Integrated Food Security Stage Classification (IPC) report revealed that 755 thousand people in Sudan are in IPC Stage 5, categorized as “disaster/famine”, with a risk of famine in 14 regions. Additionally, 25.6 million people in Sudan are classified at IPC Stage 3 and above, indicating they are experiencing high levels of hunger.
This dire situation has led to the declaration of disaster conditions (IPC Phase 5) in Sudan for the first time since 2004. The international community is urged to take swift action to address the escalating food crisis and ensure the delivery of essential assistance to those in need in Sudan.
