The United States, Canada, and more than two dozen international partners have issued a stark warning that Sudan faces a rapidly growing risk of famine, with 19.5 million people — representing 41 per cent of the population — experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. The joint statement, circulated by the US State Department on Monday, 27 October 2026, demanded that the country's warring parties immediately lift restrictions blocking humanitarian assistance from reaching civilians.

Scale of the Crisis

Of the 19.5 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity, five million are already in emergency conditions, according to international food security assessments cited by the signatories. The joint statement warned that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could surpass the projected 825,000 if conditions continue to deteriorate. The number of areas facing serious food insecurity — currently assessed at 14 — could also double, the governments cautioned.

'There is no time to lose to save lives and prevent famine,' the joint statement said.

Who Signed and When

The warning was originally issued on 23 October 2026 and subsequently endorsed by European governments, Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, and the European Commission. The broad coalition of signatories reflects mounting international alarm over a crisis that has unfolded largely outside global headlines since April 2023, when fighting first erupted across the country.

Root Causes: War, Weather and Bureaucratic Obstruction

The statement identified the continuing armed conflict as the principal driver of Sudan's hunger crisis. Fighting has displaced millions of civilians, destroyed essential infrastructure, and disrupted healthcare, agricultural production, food distribution networks, and local markets. The situation has been further aggravated by administrative restrictions on humanitarian operations and adverse weather linked to El Niño, including reduced rainfall and worsening drought across more than half the country.

Notably, aid organisations have faced lengthy visa procedures, customs clearance delays, additional travel permits, and taxation requirements — bureaucratic hurdles that the governments explicitly called out and demanded be removed. The signatories urged longer visa validity periods and simplified travel authorisations to keep humanitarian workers operational in the field.

Demands on Warring Parties and Aid Access

The international partners specifically demanded air access into Darfur, a region among the hardest hit by violence, displacement, and logistical restrictions. Such access, the statement said, would allow aid organisations to deploy emergency supplies more quickly and evacuate humanitarian personnel requiring medical attention. Armed groups were also urged to avoid attacks on civilian infrastructure, particularly agricultural facilities and food production systems.

The governments called on all parties to allow humanitarian organisations to operate safely across front lines and international borders. They placed primary responsibility for protecting civilians on the parties to the conflict, stating that ensuring assistance reaches people in need is a fundamental obligation.

Calls for Funding and Agricultural Support

The signatories called for an urgent increase in international humanitarian funding, urging development banks and financial institutions to adjust their programmes to address Sudan's worsening food security situation. Particular emphasis was placed on supporting the winter cropping season, which could help restore agricultural production and reduce long-term dependence on emergency food assistance. The statement also called for strengthening locally led humanitarian responses as a sustainable complement to international relief efforts.

With the humanitarian situation at risk of sharp deterioration in the coming months, the international community's next steps — and whether the warring parties comply — will determine whether a formal famine declaration becomes unavoidable.