Statement by Administrator Samantha Power

Independent experts from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s Famine Review Committee have confirmed the worst: Famine is ongoing in five areas of North Darfur, and West and South Kordofan, Sudan – including Zamzam and two additional camps for internally displaced persons – and is projected in five additional areas between December 2024 and May 2025. Half of Sudan’s population is now facing acute levels of food insecurity and at least 638,000 people are living under Famine conditions. This harrowing finding is made even more devastating by the fact that these conditions are man-made. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and bureaucratic access restrictions imposed by the parties to the conflict have greatly limited humanitarian access since the conflict began in April 2023, preventing lifesaving assistance from reaching people in dire need.

This conflict has devastated the people of Sudan, leaving over 30 million of Sudan’s approximately 50 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 12 million displaced. 

In North Darfur, the ongoing impacts of severe flooding during the summer months and an escalation in clashes between the SAF and RSF in besieged areas have continued to limit humanitarian access to vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, in South Kordofan, the destruction of the ongoing fighting and siege-like conditions is compounded by the aftermath of an above-average rainy season, increased food prices, and reduced access to farmland. If conditions do not improve, Famine is projected to spread to five additional areas of Sudan between now and May 2025, and there is a risk of Famine across additional parts of the country. 

We are working around the clock alongside our humanitarian partners in the region to get lifesaving assistance to the people who need it most despite ongoing conflict and access challenges. Last week, our partners WFP and UNICEF, in coordination with local response organizations, successfully delivered enough aid to help tens of thousands of Sudanese in areas at risk of Famine. These UN and local organizations continue their tireless efforts to get critical assistance to vulnerable communities across Sudan.

It is essential that the SAF and RSF enable full and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the country to allow brave humanitarian workers to reach the most vulnerable with aid and to prevent Famine conditions from taking hold across wider swaths of the country. Millions of innocent lives are at stake, and the time to act is now.