The World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded the alarm over a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where nearly 24 million people — almost half the country’s population — are suffering from acute hunger amid an ongoing armed conflict.
Mohamed Gamal El-Din, the WFP’s national spokesperson in Sudan, said that the situation has deteriorated dramatically since the outbreak of the war, with civilians in besieged areas such as El-Fasher, Kadugli, and Dilling struggling to survive. Reports from El-Fasher indicate that some residents have been forced to eat animal fodder or even dry plants in order to stay alive.
“The scale of suffering is unimaginable,” Gamal El-Din said, warning that the lack of humanitarian access could push the country toward an even greater disaster.
The WFP spokesperson stressed that internal displacement is adding to the crisis, as aid agencies face mounting challenges in locating and reaching displaced families due to insecurity and shifting conflict lines. While the Sudanese government has granted permits for aid deliveries to El-Fasher, he said, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to block humanitarian convoys.
Malnutrition is rising sharply among vulnerable groups, particularly children and women. WFP estimates that more than 3.6 million children are suffering from malnutrition, alongside pregnant and breastfeeding women — figures that are likely outdated given the lack of reliable field data.
Gamal El-Din also underscored the severe funding shortfall hampering relief efforts. The WFP currently faces a deficit exceeding \$600 million for its Sudan operations this year, forcing the agency to scale back support and make difficult choices about which communities to prioritize.
“The absolute priority now is to secure safe humanitarian corridors to El-Fasher and other besieged areas,” he said. “It is unthinkable that in 2025 civilians are surviving on animal feed and dry plants, but that is the grim reality facing people in Sudan today.”
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