The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a serious warning about the escalating food crisis in Sudan, which is being exacerbated by ongoing conflict and economic decline.
According to FAO, a staggering 20.3 million individuals in Sudan are facing severe hunger, a figure that has nearly doubled since the previous year.
Approximately 42 percent of the population is enduring high levels of acute food insecurity, as disruptions in the market and soaring food prices hinder access to essential goods and services.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phases analysis, which employs common standards for classifying food severity, reveals a critical situation, with 14 million people facing a “crisis” level of food insecurity.
Furthermore, more than six million people, approximately 13 percent of the population, are now just one step away from famine.
The regions most severely impacted by the food crisis include Khartoum, South and West Kordofan, as well as Central, East, South, and West Darfur.
Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, highlighted the devastating consequences of the conflict on the food and nutrition security and overall well-being of millions of people.
Families are enduring unimaginable suffering due to the crisis.
The displacement of over four million people as a result of ongoing fighting has further damaged critical infrastructure, aggravating food insecurity and malnutrition.
FAO expressed concern about the insufficient resources hindering humanitarian efforts to address the situation.
They urgently appealed for an additional $65 million in funding to assist over six million people and support farmers in preparing for the upcoming planting season.
The UN food agency is particularly worried about projections for the period from October 2023 to February 2024, with around 15 million people likely to face a food crisis during that time.
To address this pressing situation, FAO aims to support more than one million farmers in producing enough food for the Sudanese people this season.
The conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since mid-April has resulted in displacement, death, injury, and an unfolding humanitarian crisis.
“It is vital that FAO is stepping in to support more than one million farmers this season to produce enough food for Sudanese people,” said Mr. Elwaer.
As of now, over four million people have been displaced due to the conflict, with the majority displaced within Sudan itself.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that hunger and displacement due to the war are spiraling out of control, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.