Post by : Rameen Ariff

For the first time, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has officially declared famine in two major Sudanese cities — al-Fashir and Kadugli — marking a devastating new chapter in the country’s two-and-a-half-year civil war.

According to a report released on Monday, the IPC confirmed that famine conditions have taken hold in al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, and Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan. The findings follow months of siege and fighting between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army, which have crippled food supply chains and trapped thousands of civilians.

Starvation Amid Siege
Residents of al-Fashir reported surviving on animal feed and even animal hides during the prolonged blockade, as food deliveries were cut off. Aid groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said that nearly all children fleeing the city were malnourished, and adults were severely emaciated. Community kitchens were reportedly targeted in drone attacks, further worsening the crisis.

Mounting Humanitarian Toll
The IPC’s findings come alongside grim revelations from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is collecting evidence of mass killings and sexual violence following the city’s fall to RSF forces. The Red Cross has warned that “history is repeating itself” in Darfur, referring to the region’s history of ethnic violence and humanitarian disasters.

21 Million Sudanese in Food Crisis
The IPC estimates that about 21.2 million people — nearly 45% of Sudan’s population — are facing acute food insecurity. While some stabilization has been observed in central regions under army control, conditions have drastically worsened in Darfur and Kordofan, where ongoing fighting continues to destroy livelihoods and inflate food prices.

Kordofan Under Siege
In Kadugli, the situation remains dire as the SPLM-N, an RSF-allied group, continues to besiege the city. Hunger has spread rapidly, with nearby towns like al-Dalanj also believed to be on the brink of famine. Humanitarian efforts remain blocked by both bureaucratic barriers and global aid cuts, leaving millions with little to no relief.

International Concerns Grow
The crisis has drawn condemnation from humanitarian organizations and world leaders calling for unrestricted access to deliver food and medical supplies. However, with the conflict deepening and aid routes cut off, Sudan is now facing one of the worst hunger emergencies in recent years — one that threatens to push the nation further into chaos unless immediate global action is taken.

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