Urgent Action Needed to Address Famine Conditions in Sudan’s Darfur, Warns UN Agency

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a dire warning about ongoing famine conditions in parts of Sudan’s Darfur, calling for immediate humanitarian intervention to prevent a worsening crisis.

More details in the following report:

According to an article published by Anadolu Agency yesterday, August 5, the FAO has confirmed alarming findings from its latest food security assessment, revealing that famine conditions are affecting the Zamzam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, which houses approximately 500,000 individuals near El Fasher. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu has emphasized the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a rapid scale-up of life-saving food, nutrition, and cash assistance.

“Peace is a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food is a basic human right,” Qu stated, highlighting the horrific famine conditions in North Darfur and the increasing risk of famine in other conflict-affected areas, including South Kordofan, Khartoum, and Al Jazirah.

Sudan’s heavy reliance on agriculture, with nearly 65% of its population engaged in the sector, has exacerbated the crisis as rural livelihoods and agrifood systems suffer severe disruption due to ongoing conflict. The FAO warned that projected La Nina conditions could lead to above-average rainfall and higher temperatures, increasing the risk of flooding and further crop and livestock losses.

Currently, over 25.6 million people in Sudan are facing crisis or worse food insecurity levels, with 755,000 individuals experiencing “catastrophe” conditions (IPC Phase 5). The FAO urged the international community to act swiftly and decisively, stating, “We cannot wait for famine declarations; action must be taken based on early warnings.”

Without immediate intervention, the situation could deteriorate further, leading to an even greater humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. Over 40,000 people have died in Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April last year, marking one of the worst humanitarian crises in the history of the continent.