Nearly 19.5 million people in Sudan are facing crisis-level acute food insecurity, according to a United Nations spokesperson citing findings from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The warning, issued on 16 May, underscores one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing that 14 areas across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan are at risk of famine — with conditions expected to worsen sharply during the lean season running from June to September.

Scale of the Crisis

The humanitarian response has fallen critically short of what is needed. Between February and May, humanitarian partners set a target of reaching 4.8 million people per month. In practice, only an estimated 3.13 million people received assistance in February alone — a gap of nearly 1.7 million people in a single month, according to Haq.

This comes amid an active conflict that continues to displace civilians and restrict aid access. The shortfall is not merely logistical — it reflects a broader funding and access crisis that agencies warn is worsening by the week.

What UN Agencies Are Demanding

FAO, WFP, and UNICEF have jointly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The three agencies are also urging the international community to urgently scale up funding across food assistance, emergency food production, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation services. Rebuilding civilian livelihoods, they said, must be part of any sustained response.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond to needs across Sudan, even as fighting puts civilians at grave risk.

Aid Reaching Some, but Far From Enough

On 13 May, UN humanitarians confirmed that aid distribution is under way in war-torn southwestern Sudan. Separately, $12 million has been targeted for famine relief in neighbouring South Sudan.

In the Kordofan region, aid organisations are providing life-saving support to displaced people, refugees, and host communities. Water and sanitation assistance has reached approximately 85,000 people in the localities of Sheikan and Ar Rahad in North Kordofan state.

Humanitarians also distributed blankets, mosquito nets, and essential household items to 2,000 displaced families in Sheikan. Cash assistance reached 200 families at the Taggat displacement site in April. In South Kordofan, nearly 88,000 people — including South Sudanese refugees, displaced persons, and host communities — received water and sanitation support.

What Comes Next

With the lean season approaching, agencies warn that food insecurity will intensify before it improves. The famine risk across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan is not a future projection — it is an imminent threat. Without a dramatic scale-up in funding and a halt to hostilities, the 19.5 million figure risks climbing further in the months ahead.