By Abdullahi Lukman
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned of a growing risk of famine in parts of Sudan’s Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan regions, as armed conflict, mass displacement, severe drought and inadequate humanitarian funding worsen food insecurity and malnutrition.
The alert, issued by the IPC, of which the World Health Organization (WHO) is a member, highlights deteriorating conditions in several localities, where limited access to healthcare, dwindling clean water supplies and food shortages are increasing the risk of disease and death.
An El Niño-induced drought affecting roughly half of Sudan is further aggravating the crisis by reducing food availability, increasing prices and undermining livelihoods in communities already affected by conflict and displacement.
The IPC warned that the combination of hunger, malnutrition and limited healthcare had left vulnerable populations increasingly exposed to severe illnesses and other life-threatening conditions.
In response, the organisation called for an end to hostilities, protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, including food supplies, water systems and healthcare facilities.
It also urged the provision of safe and sustained humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas, particularly in North and West Kordofan, alongside an expansion of emergency assistance and increased, flexible and predictable funding.
The WHO said it was supporting health and nutrition services across Sudan, including the treatment of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications and responses to disease outbreaks.
According to the agency, malnutrition increases the risk of severe illness from diseases such as cholera and measles, making access to healthcare and adequate nutrition essential to preventing further deaths.
The WHO disclosed that it had provided training, medical supplies and other assistance to all 161 operational nutrition stabilisation centres across Sudan in 2026. Between January and August, the support helped treat more than 26,000 children with severe acute malnutrition and related medical complications.
However, Sudan’s health system remains severely weakened by the ongoing conflict, displacement, attacks on healthcare facilities and persistent funding shortages.
The WHO reported that it had verified 228 attacks on healthcare since April 15, 2023, resulting in 2,055 deaths and 817 injuries. By 2026, 37 per cent of the country’s health facilities had ceased functioning.
The agency added that only 23 per cent of its $97.7 million humanitarian appeal had been funded, warning that additional financial support and sustained humanitarian access were needed to expand essential health, nutrition and hygiene services and prevent further deterioration of the crisis.
