UN warns food aid in Sudan could run out by end of March

The United Nations has warned that food aid in Sudan is at risk of running out by the end of March unless urgent new funding is secured, threatening millions in what is already the world’s largest hunger crisis.

After nearly three years of civil war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and around 11 million displaced by the fighting.

The World Food Programme says its food stocks in Sudan are almost exhausted. Its Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Ross Smith, said the agency has already been forced to cut rations to the “absolute minimum for survival” and warned that, without immediate support, millions could lose access to life-saving assistance within weeks.

According to the UN, more than 21 million people — nearly half of Sudan’s population — are now facing acute food insecurity. Famine has been confirmed in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and in Kadugli in neighbouring Kordofan, both heavily affected by fighting.

The UN says famine conditions are also likely in other areas, including parts of Dilling and displacement camps around El-Fasher, though insecurity has limited access for assessments. Aid agencies are urging donors to act quickly to prevent a further humanitarian catastrophe.