More than 24.6 million people – one half of Sudan’s population – are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the latest report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which tracks hunger risks and extreme hunger spots globally.

And famine (IPC phase 5) is present in at least five Sudanese areas in North Darfur and parts of the Western Nuba Mountains, according to the IPC’s Famine Review Committee, in its latest analysis, released on Tuesday, 24 December.

Without further access to aid in the conflict-wracked country, even more North Darfur areas will also face famine over the coming five months, the IPC predicted. And 17 other areas in North and South Darfur, Khartoum, and Al Jazirah states are at risk of famine, particularly in areas with high rates of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the review stated.

‘Famine is the most extreme manifestation of human suffering’

“Twenty months into the conflict, Sudan continues to slide into a widening Famine crisis characterized by widespread starvation and a significant surge in acute malnutrition,” the IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) analysis stated. “This marks an unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis, driven by the devastating conflict, which has triggered unprecedented mass displacement, a collapsing economy, the breakdown of essential social services, and severe societal disruptions, and poor humanitarian access.”

“Famine is the most extreme manifestation of human suffering, representing a catastrophic collapse of the systems and resources essential for survival,” the IPC  added. “It is not merely a lack of food but a profound breakdown of health, livelihoods, and social structures, leaving entire communities in a state of desperation.”

Famine (IPC Phase 5) first detected in August 2024 in Zamzam camp, North Darfur state, has not only persisted but also expanded to Al Salam and Abu Shouk camps and the Western Nuba Mountains for the period October to November 2024, the IPC committee found.

“Between December 2024 and May 2025, Famine is projected to expand in North Darfur localities including Um Kadadah, Melit, El Fasher, At Tawisha, and Al Lait,” they stated.  “There is a risk of famine in the Central Nuba Mountains (including in Delami, Western Kadugli, Um Durein, and Al Buram localities), and in areas likely to experience high influxes of IDPs in North and South Darfur,” as well as in Khartoum and Al Jazirah states.

Above-average rainfall during the May-October rainy season did provide relief in some areas of Sudan, allowing for more food production in areas where security conditions allowed, the report found. But the ongoing conflict has severely disrupted farming activities across vast swathes of the most affected regions.

Farmers were forced to abandon fields, and crops were looted or destroyed. Displaced families, particularly those in settlements and public buildings, are unable to access harvested foods.

UN Secretary General calls for warring parties to grant aid groups humanitarian access

UN agencies and partners are scaling up food assistance and other essential support programmes, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

However, ongoing fighting and restrictions on the movement of relief supplies and personnel continue to jeopardize aid operations.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the parties to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained access so that humanitarian assistance and staff can reach people in need wherever they are,” a statement by the SG’s spokesman warned.

RSF enjoys support from the UAE and Wagner group

The brutal civil war first erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group previously operating under the auspices of the government of Sudan.

Built upon an association of tribal militias, the RSF has long wielded control over Sudanese gold mines in the Darfur area, with the precious metal exported to the United Arab Emirates where it was used to fund the RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) and the militia’s activities. The UAE is reportedly a key backer of the military force, with western countries as well as the UN largely turning a blind eye to the relationship, which has been condemned by Human Rights Watch and other humanitarian groups.  The RSF and its leadership also reportedly has connections with the Russian paramilitary Wagner group, which allegedly provided training and equipment to the fighters.

The conflict has claimed more than 20,000 lives and driven over 12 million people – nearly a quarter of Sudan’s population – from their homes. Fighting continues to rage, including in densely populated areas, with widespread reports of humanitarian law violations, as well as sexual violence, on the part of both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). On 19 December, three World Food Programme field officers were killed in an aerial bombardment of the WFP Field Office Compound in Yabus, Blue Nile State. The SAF denounced the attack, saying that it had no military activities in the area, while the RSF did not comment.

WFP is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of three of our colleagues in #Sudan, who were carrying out lifesaving duties on the frontlines of one of the world’s largest hunger crises.

Any loss of life in humanitarian service is unconscionable. Humanitarians are not, and must… pic.twitter.com/pg4HURoyDR

— World Food Programme (@WFP) December 20, 2024

Health and education infrastructure lies in ruins while deadly diseases such as cholera are spreading, due to the lack of access to clean water and sanitation.

“Only a ceasefire can reduce the risk of famine spreading further and contain the already high levels of acute food insecurity,” the IPC report concluded.

Image Credits: IPC, UNICEF , IPC .