Famine is rapidly expanding across Sudan, with refugee camps and displaced communities bearing the brunt, according to a new UN-backed assessment. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report revealed that famine has spread to additional camps in the west and parts of the south, as the conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to devastate the nation.
The war, now in its 20th month, has caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced 12 million people, making it the world’s largest displacement crisis. The IPC warns that 638,000 people are already experiencing catastrophic hunger, and 8.1 million more are on the brink of famine. The report highlights three camps in North Darfur, including Zamzam, where famine was declared earlier this year, as well as the Nuba Mountains in southern Kordofan.
The situation is expected to worsen, with projections indicating that by May, 24.6 million people—half of Sudan’s population—will face acute food insecurity. The IPC’s findings point to an unprecedented deepening of the food crisis, with aid groups sounding alarms over the devastating impact on children.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised concerns about famine conditions in areas of heavy conflict, including Khartoum and Al-Jazira. However, access to these regions remains severely restricted, preventing official classification. As famine spreads through Sudan, aid groups like Save the Children are calling for immediate action and unhindered access to deliver humanitarian aid across the country.
With the RSF controlling vast regions and the military’s bureaucratic hurdles blocking aid, the country faces a prolonged famine that is pushing more and more people toward death due to malnutrition and lack of food.
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