Sudan faces escalating hunger crisis due to war and Hormuz disruption – WFP

Sudan confronts an escalating humanitarian crisis driven by multiple interconnected factors, according to World Food Programme officials. The ongoing internal conflict has been compounded by reduced international aid funding and rising agricultural costs stemming from global disruptions linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Carl Skau, the WFP's acting executive director, characterized the situation as massive in both scale and severity, noting that more than 100,000 people currently face famine-like conditions classified at the highest level of the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

The scale of Sudan's hunger crisis remains the world's largest humanitarian emergency, with approximately five million people facing emergency or catastrophic hunger levels despite intensive aid efforts that have reduced the number in famine-like conditions. Nearly 19.5 million people across Sudan experience high levels of acute food insecurity. Recent fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan has raised concerns that the city could suffer circumstances similar to el-Fasher in Darfur, where conflict and siege conditions have trapped civilians and hindered aid delivery. However, violence has eased somewhat around el-Obeid in recent days, offering hope for expanded aid operations in the area.

The WFP has also grown increasingly concerned about renewed fighting in Darfur over the past week, which forced closure of the Tine border crossing connecting Chad to Darfur. This escalation threatens to reverse gains achieved after famine took hold in parts of the country. Facing a $646 million funding gap following cuts from major donors including the United States, European countries, and Britain, the WFP has reduced the number of people it assists from five million a year ago to approximately 3.5 million and has cut rations in many areas.

Beyond immediate conflict impacts, Sudan's food security faces additional pressure from rising diesel prices and fertiliser shortages linked to Gulf region conflicts and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Sudan relies heavily on fertiliser imports from Gulf countries, and much of its agriculture depends on irrigation pumps that farmers may find too expensive to operate. WFP officials warned that the situation is moving in the wrong direction, with the organization falling backward in its humanitarian response capacity.