A devastating famine has gripped at least one region in Sudan, with conditions likely mirroring this crisis in other parts of the war-torn country, a committee of food security experts announced on Thursday.
This marks only the third time such a severe food shortage has been officially declared since a global classification system was established two decades ago.
The declaration, based on the internationally recognized Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), underscores the catastrophic impact of the ongoing conflict between Burhan-controlled SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The over 15-month-long war has triggered the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, with a staggering 25 million people, or half the population, in dire need of humanitarian aid.
The Famine Review Committee (FRC) has confirmed famine conditions in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp, home to 500,000 internally displaced people.
The crisis is expected to persist until at least October. Conflict and severe restrictions on humanitarian access are cited as the primary causes of this catastrophe.
The FRC warns that similar conditions are likely affecting other parts of Darfur, including the Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps.
Satellite imagery analysis supports the grim findings, revealing a rapid expansion of cemeteries in Darfur.
This indirect evidence of increasing mortality strengthens the famine declaration. The dire situation has pushed many Sudanese to consume inedible substances like leaves and soil as hunger reaches crisis levels.
Experts and UN officials believe this famine declaration could prompt a UN Security Council resolution, granting aid agencies the authority to deliver life-saving assistance across borders to those most in need.