Intense fighting in Sudan has driven the Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Northern Darfur, host to half a million IDPs, into famine conditions, according to a new food security update from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released today. One in five households in this area face an extreme lack of food with little to no options to feed themselves. 

755,000 people across 10 states in Sudan are facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC5), and experiencing an extreme lack of food. These numbers may be much higher in reality as many areas remain inaccessible to verify numbers across Sudan due to active fighting. The International Rescue Committee is once again warning of the need to scale up humanitarian access which would require conditions like a cessation of hostilities and unimpeded access. 

Eatizaz Yousif, IRC Country Director for Sudan, said:

“An escalation of violence over the last few months has severely hindered humanitarian access to parts of Northern Darfur resulting in a near-collapse of the healthcare system. This extreme level of hunger where people, especially children, are starving to death every day, is expected to persist until at least October. If the conflict continues and humanitarian access remains constrained, the situation risks deteriorating beyond October. 

“There has been no food assistance distributed in Zamzam camp since April this year while prices for goods have soared, according to the Famine Review Committee. Families have depleted their assets and without assistance, they have extremely limited options for food and are unable to cope. Alarming levels of malnutrition, especially among children, means an increased risk of infectious diseases without health care services. An immediate ceasefire is now more critical than ever to prevent mass deaths resulting from a hunger crisis that is rapidly spreading across Sudan. Already, more than half of Sudan’s population is now facing crisis levels of hunger or above, the worst in Sudan’s history. 

“We have been warning for months that the widespread conflict across Sudan is driving alarming levels of hunger, and now a perfect storm of conflict, low food production this lean season coupled with restricted humanitarian access will lead to horrific levels of hunger and deaths. This latest data is a clear alarm and call to action: the Sudanese people need an immediate halt to the fighting and for the restoration of humanitarian access to the most affected areas.” 

The IRC response in Sudan:

The IRC has adapted and scaled up our programming in Sudan to address increased humanitarian needs. We are supporting people who have been displaced internally through multi-purpose cash assistance, health and nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. The IRC also provides protection and empowerment services for women and children, including gender-based violence survivors in Blue Nile, Gedaref, White Nile, and Khartoum states. We have established offices in new regions, including Port Sudan, and are in the process of launching an emergency response in River Nile state to deliver primary health care services, cash assistance, safe water, and sanitation and hygiene services to vulnerable communities. We are also working to establish a presence in new locations to address gaps in humanitarian coverage and expand our programming in response to the enduring humanitarian crisis. The IRC is also working in Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda to support refugees from Sudan. To learn more about IRC’s programming in Sudan, go here.