Sudan's Hunger Crisis: A Closer Look at the Famine Spreading Across the Nation

Sudan is facing a severe hunger crisis, with famine now spreading to two more areas. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global authority on hunger, has identified el-Fasher in Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan province as the latest regions affected. The situation in these areas is dire. El-Fasher has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for 18 months, cutting off food and other supplies to tens of thousands of people. The RSF recently seized el-Fasher, reportedly killing hundreds. Kadugli has also been under siege for months, with tens of thousands of people trapped as the RSF tries to seize more territory from the Sudanese military. The war in Sudan has been ongoing since April 2023, with more than 40, 000 people killed and 14 million displaced. The fighting has also fueled disease outbreaks, making the situation even worse. The IPC report states that el-Fasher and Kadugli have experienced a total collapse of livelihoods, starvation, and extremely high levels of malnutrition and death. Famine is determined by specific criteria, including deaths from malnutrition-related causes, severe lack of food, and high levels of acute malnutrition in children. The IPC has confirmed famine only a few times, most recently in northern Gaza earlier this year. The new report says about 375, 000 people have been pushed into famine in Darfur and Kordofan as of September, with another 6. 3 million people across Sudan facing extreme levels of hunger. Towns near el-Fasher, including Tawila, Melit, and Tawisha, are at risk of famine. Thousands fleeing el-Fasher have been arriving in these locations, with aid groups reporting catastrophic levels of malnutrition among the arrivals. The RSF has turned its focus to the Darfur region and Kordofan to secure supply lines toward the country's center. Save the Children reported that food supplies had run out in Kadugli, with fighting escalating. Another Kordofan town, Dilling, has reportedly experienced the same conditions as Kadugli, but the IPC did not announce famine there due to a lack of data. Across Sudan, more than 21 million people, or 45% of the population, faced acute food insecurity as of September. The IPC called for a ceasefire as the sole measure that can prevent further loss of life and help contain the extreme levels of acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition.