‘We can only die once, so what’s there to fear?’ In war-stricken Sudan, humanitarians persevere to tackle famine
Story | 30 December 2024
Emergency
Sudan
- 24.3 million
- people facing acute hunger
- 5 areas
- where famine has been confirmed
- US$510 million
- needed for WFP operations between December and May 2025
Sudan risks becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis in recent history.
A protracted famine is taking hold and without humanitarian assistance, hundreds of thousands could die of hunger.
Famine was first confirmed in August in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and has since spread to four more areas. It is projected in five additional areas in Nnorth Darfur, between December and May 2025.
A total of 24.3 million people (around half the population) are acutely food insecure, while 638,000 (the highest anywhere in the world) face catastrophic levels of hunger.
Over 1 in 3 children are facing acute malnutrition – above the 20 percent threshold for a famine confirmation.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered food assistance to more than 800,000 people in famine and famine-risk areas, since launching a large-scale surge in food aid.
WFP and partners urge the international community to prioritize funding for humanitarian efforts and to use diplomatic channels to secure a ceasefire and unrestricted access.
We need US$510 million for operations across Sudan between December and May 2025.
What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the Sudan emergency
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Emergency response
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WFP is supporting community kitchens in areas of Khartoum through local partners, with a goal of distributing up to 100,000 hot meals every month. WFP is also expanding its cash-based assistance, including the roll-out of a self-registration pilot for cash-based assistance for residents of Khartoum.
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Resilience
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WFP manages activities designed to improve livelihoods and build resilience, focused on the relatively safe eastern state of Sudan. WFP has also resumed the African Development Bank-funded Sudan Emergency Wheat Production Project in Northern, River Nile, Gezira, Kassala and White Nile states. The programme aims to increase Sudan’s domestic wheat production, which is vital to preventing hunger from rising even more.
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UNHAS
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The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Services has established air connections between Nairobi and Port Sudan and Amman and Port Sudan, which are already transporting frontline humanitarians from 69 organizations. In 2023, UNHAS facilitated nearly 200 international flights into and out of Port Sudan, transporting around 4,000 passengers and 18.2 MT of light humanitarian cargo from May to December 2023.
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Logistics
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The WFP-led Logistics Cluster provides storage services to 9 UN agencies and NGO partners at four locations in Port Sudan, Wad Madani, Kosti, and Gedaref. Thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies are passing through these hubs.
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Emergency Telecommunications Cluster
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The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster provides connectivity services in Port Sudan, Kassala and Kosti. In Port Sudan, the Cluster is providing connectivity to around 600 users from 37 partners across 28 sites. In Kassala, the Cluster provides connectivity to 70 users from 8 partners across 4 sites.
How you can help
WFP urgently needs funding to support people whose lives have been upended by the conflict.
Donate now