Sudan is facing widespread famine and severe food insecurity due to a 20-month conflict, displacing over 14 million people. Famine has been declared in multiple regions, including major displacement camps in North Darfur, with millions at risk. The ongoing crisis has sparked international concern, and aid groups are struggling to reach affected areas.

Experts from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) have declared that Sudan’s ongoing conflict has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis and widespread famine in the country. The IPC, a global organization focused on food security, announced that famine has been detected in five areas of Sudan, including the country's largest displacement camp, Zamzam, located in North Darfur province. This marks the first time famine has been declared in this region since August.

The war, which has ravaged Sudan for the past 20 months, has resulted in over 24,000 deaths and displaced more than 14 million people—approximately 30% of the population, according to the United Nations. Of those displaced, about 3.2 million have crossed into neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.

The conflict began in April 2023, when escalating tensions between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into violent clashes in the capital, Khartoum. The fighting quickly spread to other urban centers and the Darfur region. The war has been marked by widespread atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings and sexual violence, as reported by the UN and various human rights organizations. The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor is investigating these alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ongoing conflict has caused a severe hunger crisis across Sudan. Food has become scarce, and prices have soared, making it difficult for many to access basic necessities. Aid organizations are facing significant challenges in reaching the most vulnerable populations due to restrictions on access imposed by warring factions, particularly in North Darfur.

Dervla Cleary, the senior emergency and rehabilitation officer at the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, revealed that an estimated 638,000 people are currently experiencing famine, with the majority located in the five areas identified as famine hotspots. In addition to the Zamzam camp, which houses over 400,000 displaced individuals, famine was also reported in two other camps for displaced people: Abu Shouk and al-Salam in North Darfur. The Western Nuba Mountains are also experiencing famine conditions, as noted in the IPC’s report.

The report further predicts that five additional areas in North Darfur, including the provincial capital el-Fasher, are likely to experience famine in the next six months. Seventeen other regions in the Nuba Mountains, as well as northern and southern areas of Darfur, are at significant risk of famine. Some areas in Khartoum and the east-central Gezira province may also be facing famine-like conditions, although experts could not confirm whether the famine threshold has been exceeded due to a lack of reliable data.

According to the IPC, a staggering 24.6 million Sudanese people—half of the country’s population—are facing high levels of acute food insecurity. IPC Phase 5, which signifies famine, occurs in regions where at least one in five individuals or households is severely food insecure, facing starvation, destitution, and an imminent risk of critical malnutrition and death.

Sudan is now the third country to have declared famine in the past 15 years, joining South Sudan and Somalia, where a major famine in 2011 resulted in the deaths of an estimated quarter of a million people, half of whom were children under the age of five.

The IPC report also warned that large parts of Gaza’s Palestinian population are facing the threat of famine, highlighting the broader regional concerns about food security in conflict-affected areas.