Conflict continues to spread across Sudan, with over 20 months of war leading to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world and the only famine confirmation worldwide since 2017.  

A total of 24.6 million people are facing acute hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – the  global standard for measuring food insecurity.

Famine was first confirmed in August 2024 in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp and has since spread to nine more areas. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. An additional 17 areas are at risk of famine.

Sudan faces the worst displacement crisis in the world, as the conflict continues to force millions of people from their homes.  This puts severe pressure on already scarce resources, threatening to destabilize the entire region unless urgent action is taken to prevent the crisis from spiralling out of control.

The conflict has also pushed the banking sector into a severe crisis, with widespread cash shortages nationwide. Cash-strapped Sudanese are struggling to buy essential items as the inflation rate soars.   

Despite widespread insecurity and access constraints,  WFP has delivered life-saving food and nutrition assistance to over 13 million people in all 18 states since the start of the conflict, including in some of the most hard-to-reach areas across Darfur, Kordofan and Khartoum. 

What WFP is doing in Sudan

Food assistance
WFP provides food assistance as a first lifeline and works to ensure that people affected by shocks have access to food. Vulnerable refugees, internally displaced people, returnees and shock-affected resident communities receive either food or cash, to provide choice. Through Food Assistance for Assets programmes, communities receive food or cash to fill their immediate food gap. In return, community members work on projects including building or restoring infrastructure like roads or schools.
Nutrition
WFP aims to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition in emergency and recovery situations, reduce stunting (low height for age due to chronic malnutrition) and prevent mineral and vitamin deficiencies through nutrition-specific initiatives. WFP provides ready-to-use-supplementary food to children under 5 and pregnant or nursing mothers who have been diagnosed with MAM. In collaboration with the private sector, WFP launched VITAMINO, a micronutrient product that is distributed to internally displaced people, refugees and vulnerable residents, and that is sold through retail outlets to reach urban populations. WFP also supports national efforts to promote consumption of fortified foods and provides technical assistance for the development of relevant legislation and standards.
Food systems and safety nets
WFP helps to improve food systems and safety nets to strengthen the resilience of food-insecure families. Through training in vocational skills, people are able to improve their livelihood opportunities and increase their income. WFP also supports farmers in accessing markets, while improving irrigation systems to boost agricultural productivity.
Post-harvest losses
Farmers in Sudan lose an estimated 30 percent of their crops after harvest, often due to improper storage. To reduce post-harvest losses, WFP is promoting the use of hermetic storage bags and airtight silos among smallholder famers, thereby creating a market demand. Farmers improve their profit margins, with more of their crops safely stored for selling on the market. Meanwhile, WFP is also engaging the private sector to make the hermetic bags readily available on the market at reasonable prices, which also helps to boost the local economy.

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Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Sudan is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
African Development Bank Andorra Austria Belgium Canada

Operations in Sudan

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Contacts

Office

653 A Block 68 Arkawit, PO Box 913
Khartoum
Sudan

Phone
+249 912 002 000
Fax
+249 183248003
Email
sudan.helpdesk@wfp.org
For media inquiries
sudan.media@wfp.org
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