Sudan Could Become World’s Largest Hunger Crisis, UN Warns

The United Nations (U.N.) has issued a warning stating that by May, almost 5 million people in some parts of the country could face catastrophic levels of hunger, which is just one step away from famine.

Edem Wosornu, director of operations for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said: "Our humanitarian partners estimate that in the coming weeks and months, somewhere in the region of around 222,000 children could die from malnutrition."

She said a recent assessment by charity Medecins Sans Frontieres concluded that one child is dying every two hours from malnutrition in the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur.

UN also said that almost 730,000 children are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, including upwards of 240,000 children in Darfur, where fighting has been intense.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Sudan, Martina, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has recorded the most severe levels of hunger in the country during the harvest season. This is mainly due to the ongoing conflict which has resulted in the destruction of crops, displacement of farmers and damage to critical infrastructure. Additionally, market access has been disrupted leading to a surge in food and fuel prices. The economic crisis in the country that began in 2019 and resulted in a 300% inflation rate by the end of last year has further exacerbated the situation.