Operational updates on food assistance to famine-risk populations in Sudan

In recent weeks, WFP has had some access breakthroughs and reached populations who have been largely cut off from aid. 

In March, WFP reached 4 million people across Sudan—the highest monthly figure since the conflict began in April 2023 and nearly four times the number of people we were assisting per month at the same time one year ago. This includes 1.6 million people in areas classified as Famine or at Risk of Famine – meaning in the last month we’ve supported four out of five people in these extreme levels of hunger across all of the 27 localities facing famine or risk.

This still represents just a fraction of the needs: Across the country – nearly 25 million people – or half the population, face acute hunger. Nearly 5 million children and breastfeeding mothers are acutely malnourished. Sudan is also the only place in the world where famine is currently confirmed.

WFP’s goal is to be reaching 7 million people by mid-year, focusing primarily on the 27 areas that are classified as in famine or risk of famine; and the IPC 4 and nutrition hotspot areas.

Earlier this week I returned from a mission to Khartoum, where we had meetings with local authorities to scale up emergency food and nutrition assistance to 1 million people across greater Khartoum in the coming month. This can’t happen soon enough as it includes many areas at high risk of famine. 

What I saw was absolutely devastating. Vast parts of the city are destroyed. Levels of hunger and desperation are extremely high – yet people remain hopeful. We expect that many will try to return to their homes in the coming months. But their basic needs – including food – need to be met.

WFP food distributions for 100,00 people have just started in Jabal Awlia, an area south of Khartoum that is at high risk of famine. These trucks arrived last week and are the first aid deliveries into Jabal Awlia since last December. 

Additional aid deliveries are en route to greater Khartoum over the coming weeks as we push to establish a stronger operational footprint that will allow regular deliveries to the capital.

Additionally, WFP delivered nearly 800 metric tonnes of food aid to famine-struck areas in the Western Nuba Mountains, supporting 64,000 people. These were the first in-kind food deliveries to the area since conflict started two years ago. 

Meanwhile, trucks carrying 1,600 metric tonnes of WFP food and nutrition supplies for 220,000 people have started to arrive in Tawila, North Darfur where 180,000 people fleeing from El Fasher and Zamzam camp have arrived in the last week alone. 

Reports from the ground are shocking. It is deeply disturbing that around 450,000 people who were already facing famine and enduring horrific levels of violence have been forced to flee from El Fasher and Zamzam camp in just a matter of weeks.  We are mobilizing assistance to reach people wherever they have fled to – across different parts of Darfur and Northern State. 

Many of the recently displaced had been trapped by conflict in El Fasher or Zamzam for months. WFP has been doing everything possible to assist people even in the face of escalating violence. Last month, 270,000 people in El Fasher and Zamzam received assistance from WFP.  

Another WFP convoy from Port Sudan is en route to El Fasher as we speak, carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of assistance for about 100,000 people who remain in the besieged city. 

We have also delivered mobile warehouses to Tawila. These are being set up now to increase storage capacity so we can pre-stock food. This is vital ahead of the rainy season, which starts in June and will leave many routes across the Darfur region impassable. 

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we pre-position assistance close to populations in need now. We have just a few weeks to do this before the rains start and will make it very difficult for large trucks carrying food assistance to travel.  

However, this progress that I have outlined is fragile. As we ramp up our response in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, we need two things: 1) sustained humanitarian access to deliver a consistent flow of aid to needy populations and 2) additional funding to meet overwhelming needs of the Sudanese people.  Only then can we turn the tide of famine.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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