PORT SUDANS, SUDANS – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently seeking unhindered access to immediate pre-promoting food aid in major parts of Sudan as it is deliberately obstructing by political parties on the ground and threatening that the rainy season is not possible to run. Without prompt action, WFP warns that millions of vulnerable people could be blocked from life-saving aid and placed vulnerable humanitarian interests at serious risk. Below is the latest information on food security and WFP operations in Sudan.
Food Security
Two years of war has transformed Sudan into the world’s largest hunger catastrophe, with hunger spreading. Almost half of the population (24.6 million) faces sharp hunger. Approximately 638,000 people face catastrophic hunger (IPC5). Hunger is confirmed in 10 locations – eight in North Darfur (including Zamzam Camp) and two in the West Nuba Mountains. It was first confirmed at the Zamzam Camp in August 2024. Another 17 regions, including the north, south, east Darfur, Mount Nuba, Khartoum and Gezilla regions, are at risk of hunger. In the most intense hit regions, one in three children is acute malnutrition, exceeding the hunger threshold.
WFP Operation
WFP provides food and nutrition assistance to over 3 million people each month, and is seeking to expand this to 7 million people a month by year. The organization has been able to provide food aid for the past few months to previous cut-off areas, including Greater Khartoum, Gezilla, Darfur and Kordofan regions. WFP support helped reduce the risk of hunger in six regions in central Darfur and two regions in West Darfur. There, nearly 1 million people have received regular WFP food or cash assistance since June 2024. Over 30,000 tons of food aid have been transported to Darfur across the Adre border, which was reopened in August 2024, but families are still facing emergency levels. WFP is working on pre-positioned food supply as more storage capacity is required in major Darfur locations to reach hunger or at-hospital communities.
Access Challenge
Access remains the greatest challenge for humanitarian activities that are intentionally obstructed by the parties to the conflict. WFP is urgently seeking access to pre-promote food aid, particularly in locations across Darfur. During the rainy season, many routes are no longer able to pass, and communities are blocked. The ongoing battle in and around El Fasher has limited access and puts humanitarians at risk. In February, WFP was forced to suspend operations at the Zamzam IDP camp due to violence. We are working with our partners to resume as soon as possible. Bureaucratic delays, fear tor and denial of humanitarian staff movements continue to be crippled. Sign up for the AllAfrica newsletter for free
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Regional impact
Since the Sudan War began, more than a million people have fled to South Sudan. WFP provides fortified biscuits or hot meals in South Sudan, one-off meals or cash rations, and nutritional support for children and mothers in border areas. Chad has hosted around 1 million refugees and returnees from Sudan since the start of the battle two years ago, and WFP has supported 1 million refugees, returnees and hosts since the start of the Sudan internal conflict.
Funding:
WFP urgently needs $650 million to continue its operations in Sudan for the next six months. Organizations seek flexible funding that is very important in complex, ever-changing operational environments like Sudan, allowing WFPs to adapt quickly to changing dynamics on the ground.
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