Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga/2023

Sudan

A Growing Humanitarian Crisis

The ongoing violence has the potential to plunge millions more people into hunger.

A record number of people are facing hunger in Sudan because of violence, high food prices and climate shocks. Now, the current conflict threatens to push millions more people into hunger.

18m

People face extreme hunger

65%

Live under the poverty line

8.4M

People are displaced

Facts About Sudan

Population: 48.1 million people.

Geography: Sudan is located in northeastern Africa and shares borders with Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, along with a coast on the Red Sea.

Economy: The 2011 secession of South Sudan sent economic shockwaves across Sudan that the country is still recovering from. Instability and inflation have hampered Sudan’s economic growth.

What’s Causing Hunger?

Conflict

Sudan, Zam Zam IDP Camp, El Fasher, North Darfur State, 17 May 2022 In the Photo: women waiting in line to receive cash distributions.

Photo: WFP/Leni Kinzli

Violent Conflict

For years, Sudan has struggled with conflict. The most recent conflict, which began in April 2023, has created the worst displacement crisis in the world and risks creating the world’s largest hunger crisis spanning Sudan, South Sudan and Chad.

How Conflict Drives Hunger

Poverty

A woman places rows of dough on a table — Women trained by WFP came together to start a bakery in Darfur, Sudan.

Photo: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua

Economic Shocks

When South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan’s economy lost a major source of oil revenue. As a result, inflation and high food prices sent millions of people deeper into hunger.

Climate

Sudan, Jabal Awliya and Al Kalakla, 11 September 2020 In the Photo: WFP conducted a rapid assessment on September 11 in two localities – Jabal Awliya and Al Kalakla. These locations were the most affected by the floods at the time, as a large number of the residents resided by the Nile. Photo: WFP/Niema Abdelmageed Following unprecedented deadly rains and flooding in Sudan, the Government declared a 3-month state of emergency. Over 650,000 people had been affected in 17 of the 18 states, according to the Humanitarian Aid Commission. In collaboration with relevant government authorities, the World Food Programme, partners and other UN agencies are joining efforts to provide needed support to flood affected people in Sudan. Teams from different agencies have been deployed for carrying out need assessments to identify affected populations across the country. In response to the floods, WFP is planning to reach up to 160,000 flood-affected people in 9 states. WFP has started to provide food and nutrition support to flood affected people including in Khartoum state, where WFP is planning to reach 19,000 people in collaboration with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society.

Photo: WFP/Niema Abdelmageed

Climate Extremes

Sudan faces recurring droughts and floods that destroy crops and force migration. The climate crisis has made these natural disasters more frequent and intense, pushing more families into extreme hunger.

How Climate EXTREMES Cause Hunger

WFP’s Work in Sudan

WFP has been present in Sudan since 1963. The number of hungry people have tripled in the last few year. We’ve been able to reach 6.5 million people with lifesaving food since the most recent conflict began.

Food Assistance

We provide food assistance to refugees, internally displaced people and other communities suffering from hunger.

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Photo: WFP/Leni Kinzli

Nutrition

We prevent and treat malnutrition for children under the age of 5 and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.

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Photo: WFP/Arete/Joost Bastmeijer

Small-Scale Farming

With tools and agricultural training, we help small-scale farmers to cut their post-harvest losses.

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Photo: WFP/Abdulaziz Abdulmomin

Photo: WFP/Leni Kinzli

Help Save lives today

By giving to the U.N. World Food Programme, you help us deliver lifesaving food to vulnerable people in Sudan and other countries affected by conflict.

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