Khartoum, March 2025 — By the first quarter of 2025, Sudan was experiencing what humanitarian agencies describe as one of the most catastrophic food security crises in modern history. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) identified multiple areas across Darfur and the Kordofan region as either facing famine or at severe risk of famine (IPC Phase 5), with nearly 19.5 million people — roughly 40% of the population — experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.
The crisis is the direct consequence of the civil conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which has displaced more than 10 million people, destroyed agricultural infrastructure, collapsed local markets, and severely restricted humanitarian access to the most vulnerable populations.
Famine Projections Across Darfur
In the early months of 2025, the IPC and associated humanitarian monitoring groups projected that famine was occurring or highly likely in several critical locations. These included:
- Zamzam camp (North Darfur) — a major displacement site housing hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons
- Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps (North Darfur) — where siege conditions have cut off food and medical supplies
- Western Nuba Mountains — areas under partial control of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, where access has been virtually nonexistent
The Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), a regional platform coordinated by FAO and WFP, issued a statement in January 2025 confirming the dire projections and calling for immediate humanitarian access to besieged populations.
Drivers of the Crisis
The food security catastrophe in Sudan is driven by a convergence of factors, all rooted in the ongoing armed conflict:
Conflict and Displacement
The civil war has displaced over 10 million people internally and forced more than 2 million to flee to neighbouring countries. In Darfur and Kordofan, fighting has destroyed farms, looted livestock, and burned markets. Farmers have been unable to plant or harvest crops for two consecutive seasons, creating a cumulative production deficit that shows no signs of recovery.
Humanitarian Access Restrictions
In many parts of Darfur, conflict-driven siege tactics have rendered basic food supplies inaccessible. The RSF has been accused of deliberately blocking aid convoys to besieged areas, while infrastructure destruction has made many roads impassable. Humanitarian agencies report that less than 20% of required food assistance has reached the populations in need.
Market Collapse
The conflict has caused the near-total collapse of local markets. In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, market functioning has been severely disrupted, with food prices escalating beyond the reach of most households. The Sudanese pound has depreciated sharply, further eroding purchasing power.
Nutrition Crisis
Nutrition surveys conducted throughout late 2024 and early 2025 consistently showed Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates exceeding emergency thresholds in multiple Darfur localities. In Zamzam camp, GAM rates were reported above 30% — well beyond the 15% threshold classified as a critical emergency by WHO standards. Children under five are disproportionately affected, with severe acute malnutrition cases rising sharply.
The collapse of the health system has compounded the nutrition crisis. Most health facilities in conflict-affected areas have ceased functioning, and those that remain open lack essential supplies for treating malnutrition.
International Response
The international response has been severely constrained by both access restrictions and funding shortfalls. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan was only about 56% funded. In early 2025, the situation deteriorated further as the United States, traditionally the largest single donor to Sudan's humanitarian response, suspended most of its international assistance.
The FAO and WFP have repeatedly called for unconditional humanitarian access to besieged areas, warning that without immediate intervention, famine will spread to additional localities. The IPC's projections for the period through May 2025 suggest that the number of areas facing famine conditions could expand significantly if conflict continues and humanitarian access remains blocked.
Regional Implications
The Sudan crisis has significant regional dimensions. More than 2 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, placing additional strain on already fragile food systems in host communities. Chad, which hosts the largest Sudanese refugee population, has itself been classified as a hunger hotspot by the FSNWG.
The crisis also threatens regional stability, as food insecurity and displacement can fuel further conflict and migration pressures across an already volatile region.
Sources
- IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis, Sudan, 2024–2025
- Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG) Statement, January 2025
- FAO, "Risk of famine persists as nearly 19.5 million people face acute food insecurity in Sudan," 2025
- FEWS NET Sudan country page, 2025
- UNICEF press releases on Sudan nutrition crisis, 2025
- ReliefWeb, Sudan IPC analysis reports, 2025
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
