Millions on brink of famine in war-torn Sudan as humanitarian crisis grows

Sudan descended into conflict in April 2023. Since then, millions have been displaced, food supplies are cramped and 14,000 people have been killed. Report by ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson and Producer Roohi Hasan

Hundreds of thousands of people are now at imminent risk of starvation in Sudan, as the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the country continues to intensify after more than a year of violent conflict.

This is according to a new report released on Thursday by the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) - a United Nations (UN)-backed initiative that monitors the severity and magnitude of hunger crises.

The report shows that looking from June to September, the number of people in catastrophic hunger (the most severe level) is expected to rise from 109,000 to 755,000 people.

Sudan descended into conflict in April 2023, when tensions between the country's military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group broke into open fighting.

More than 14,000 people have been killed since the war began, according to the United Nations.

The conflict created the world’s largest displacement crisis with more than 10 million people forced to flee their homes, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in June.

Human rights experts working for the UN said that both warring sides used food and starvation as a war weapon.

Another 8.5 million people are classified in the second worst level of starvation, or Phase 4, meaning that the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing, the IPC report said.

Those people are facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and excessively high disease levels, it added.

'This is a crisis that desperately needs the worlds attention,' David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee told ITV News

“The conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply routes, market systems and agricultural production, it has also severely limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already dire situation,” the report said.

Overall, 25.6 million people, more than half of the country’s 47 million population, face “crisis or worse conditions” between June and September.

It warned there was a risk of famine in 14 areas “if the conflict escalates further, including through increased mobilisation of local militias”.

“The situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection,” the report said.

At particular risk are children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly. About 4 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 of those projected to be at imminent risk of dying, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“The consequences of the violence, of the displacement of the, you know, lack of food, the lack of security is just devastating for women and children in Sudan,” Ms Russell said in an interview after her trip to Sudan earlier this week. “It’s important for the international community to realise that we have to get more resources to Sudan,” she said.

“But we also need to push the parties, hopefully, to peace. That’s really, at the end of the day. what we need here."

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