Sudan Faces Severe Food Crisis as War Enters Third Year

Millions of people in Sudan are surviving on just one meal a day as the country's deepening food crisis threatens to spread further. The ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which enters its third year, has caused widespread hunger and displaced millions amid what NGOs describe as one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

According to a report by Action Against Hunger, CARE International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, families in North Darfur and South Kordofan - the regions worst affected by conflict - often go days without meals. Many have resorted to eating leaves and animal feed to survive.

The report details how war tactics including deliberate destruction of farms and markets are driving communities toward famine conditions. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification found that famine thresholds for acute malnutrition have been surpassed in Um Baru and Kernoi, with child malnutrition rates nearly double the famine threshold. In November, famine conditions were confirmed in al-Fashir and Kadugli.

About 61.7% of Sudan's population - approximately 28.9 million people - is acutely food insecure according to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. The crisis has disproportionately affected women and girls, who face high risks of violence when accessing fields, markets, or water sources.

Communal kitchens struggle to meet rising needs as major donor funding cuts impede aid agencies' ability to respond effectively. Both the army-aligned government and RSF deny responsibility for the famine conditions in areas under their control.