UN Warns of Widespread Famine in Sudan

"The combined effects of conflict, climate shocks, economic and political crises, rising costs and poor harvests are pushing millions of people deeper into hunger and poverty," WFP's representative in Sudan, Eddie Rowe, said.

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According to WFP, food insecurity could rise sharply to record levels, leading to further conflict and displacement if there is no "strong agricultural support" for Sudan.

Since the 2021 coup d'état in Sudan, living conditions have worsened rapidly throughout Sudan. An already fragile economy took a nosedive, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine exacerbating economic hardship.  

The international organizations said that humanitarian needs in Sudan, where 40 percent of the population is forecast to become food insecure by September, are unmet by funding levels.

Under such circumstances, WFP's representative in the country said: "We must act now to avoid increasing hunger levels and to save the lives of those already affected." 

Plan International, Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Vision warned that three million children under the age of five in Sudan are acutely malnourished. The organizations warned that an estimated 375 000 of these children could die this year if they do not receive treatment.