‘World’s largest hunger crisis’ looms with Sudan war, UN warns

Over 25 million people in Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad are facing increasingly deteriorating food insecurity, the World Food Program (WFP) said on March 6.

According to the WFP, the crisis has deepened because of the “relentless violence and interference by the warring parties” making it challenging to provide emergency food assistance to affected communities who are “trapped”.

“20 years ago, Darfur was the world’s largest hunger crisis and the world rallied to respond. But today, the people of Sudan have been forgotten. Millions of lives and the peace and stability of an entire region are at stake,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said.

The conflict in Sudan, which began in April, has seen forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan who leads Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF), clash with those led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Since then, thousands have lost their lives, and according to the UN, over 8 million people have been displaced, making Sudan host to the world's largest displacement crisis.

The humanitarian response has been further strained by disruptions in aid delivery routes, particularly after authorities revoked permissions for cross-border truck convoys, forcing WFP to halt its operations from Chad into Darfur.

With increasing numbers of people seeking refuge in South Sudan and Chad, the humanitarian response is at a breaking point. Executive Director McCain's visit to Renk in eastern South Sudan witnessed the deteriorating situation, where nearly 600,000 people have crossed from Sudan in the last 10 months, arriving at crowded transit camps already facing severe hunger.

While Sudan's government recently agreed to accept humanitarian aid via Chad and South Sudan, the WFP stressed that “Ultimately, a cessation of hostilities and lasting peace is the only way to reverse course and prevent catastrophe.”