The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) issued a dire warning Tuesday, stating that areas south of Sudan’s war-torn capital, Khartoum, face a high risk of famine.
The agency is urgently appealing for funds to address a massive shortfall in food aid.
Laurent Bukera, WFP’s Sudan representative, reported “severe” hunger levels in Jabal Awliya, a town about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Khartoum, following his visit to Khartoum State.
Speaking from Port Sudan, he emphasised the “immense” needs observed in the region.
“We saw widespread destruction, limited access to water, healthcare, and electricity, and a cholera outbreak. In parts of the city, life is returning—but many neighbourhoods remain abandoned, like a ghost city,” Bukera shared at a press briefing.
Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been engaged in a power struggle since April 2023, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced 13 million people, including four million abroad.
The UN has labelled this the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. “WFP is deeply concerned, and meeting basic needs—especially food—is critical and urgent,” Bukera stressed.
While the RSF lost control of Khartoum in March, “Several areas in the south of the city are at high risk of famine,” Bukera confirmed.
The WFP now has access to these areas and can deliver regular aid, working to pull the local population “back from the brink of famine.”
He described the “level of hunger, destitution, and desperation” at the first distributions in Jabal Awliya last month as “severe” and confirmed the risk of famine in those areas.
Bukera urged the international community to “act now—by stepping up funding to stop famine in the hardest-hit areas and to invest in Sudan’s recovery.”
Famine has already been officially declared in five areas across Sudan, including three displacement camps near El-Fasher in the southwest.
A declaration for El-Fasher itself has been all but confirmed, but data access issues prevent it from being made official. Last Monday, five aid workers died en route to besieged El-Fasher, in an RSF-controlled area.
Across Sudan, nearly 25 million people are suffering from severe food insecurity.
The WFP currently reaches four million people monthly, a significant increase since early 2024. The agency aims to reach seven million people each month, prioritising areas facing famine or extreme risk.
However, Bukera revealed a funding gap of over $500 million for emergency food and cash assistance in the next six months, with an overall deficit of $700 million across all WFP operations in Sudan.
As displaced populations are expected to return to heavily damaged areas like Khartoum, the strain on already stretched resources will intensify.
Bukera expressed hope that food aid could bring stability to Khartoum and “anchor the peace.”
He concluded by stating, “This is the moment to stand with the Sudanese people as they rebuild their lives… after two years of devastating conflict, we see light at the end of the tunnel.”
