WFP warns nearly 4.6 million in Sudan face famine

KHARTOUM, Sudan (MNTV) — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that nearly 4.6 million people across Sudan are now facing the threat of famine, as a worsening conflict, economic collapse and seasonal flooding converge to create one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the country’s recent history.

Mohamed Gamal El-Din, WFP’s national spokesperson in Sudan, described the situation as “a humanitarian emergency of immense proportions” in a recent televised interview with Cairo News. 

He highlighted particularly dire conditions in Darfur and the city of El Fasher, where families are reportedly struggling to access even basic food supplies.

“What we are witnessing in many areas of Sudan is unprecedented,” El-Din said. 

“Millions are trapped between violence, displacement, and food scarcity.”

As Sudan enters its rainy season, WFP officials warn that flooding is expected to cut off access to already vulnerable regions. The agency fears aid deliveries could be halted for weeks or even months, leaving entire communities isolated.

“The rains don’t just bring water — they bring isolation,” El-Din said.

While Darfur remains a focal point, the hunger crisis has spread to parts of Kordofan, the Blue Nile region and urban areas such as Khartoum, where market disruption and the collapse of public services have driven food prices out of reach for many.

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced more than 10 million people internally and forced more than 2 million to flee the country, according to the United Nations.

Despite the volatile security situation, WFP says it has reached over 1 million people in Khartoum and another 1.7 million in other parts of the country through humanitarian access agreements and cooperation with local authorities. But agency officials caution that the scale of the crisis is outpacing available resources.

“We are racing against time,” El-Din said. “Every week brings new displacement, new suffering, and more people in need of urgent food assistance.”

WFP launched an $800 million emergency appeal in March to sustain its operations through the rest of the year. 

So far, less than half of that has been funded. 

Without additional financial support, the agency warns it may be forced to scale back or suspend critical food distributions.

“Without new funding, not only will we lose lives inside Sudan — we risk triggering a wider regional emergency,” El-Din said, pointing to the rising number of Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries such as Chad, Libya, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic.

To draw global attention to the crisis, WFP has launched a broad advocacy campaign aimed at donors and international partners. 

The agency is urging immediate and sustained commitments to expand humanitarian access and prevent further deterioration.

“This is no longer just a Sudanese crisis,” El-Din said. “It’s a regional humanitarian emergency, and the consequences of inaction will be felt far beyond Sudan’s borders.”