The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), of which WHO is a member, today issued a Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Alert for Sudan.
Key highlights
The IPC is warning of a growing risk of famine across parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan, where conflict, mass displacement, severe drought and inadequate humanitarian funding are driving a rapidly deteriorating situation.
An El Niño-induced drought, affecting roughly half of the country, is compounding the impacts of conflict and displacement, reducing food availability, driving up prices and affecting livelihoods. The IPC Alert highlights alarming levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in several localities, including new areas of concern.
Health care is extremely limited, often entirely inaccessible, while clean water is becoming increasingly scarce, leaving a poorly nourished population highly vulnerable to disease and death.
Recommended actions
- End hostilities, safeguard civilians, and protect food, water and health systems;
- secure safe and sustained humanitarian access in frontline areas, especially in North and West Kordofan;
- scale up integrated, lifesaving humanitarian response; and
- provide at-scale, flexible and predictable funding.
WHO's response in Sudan
WHO is supporting the health and nutrition response across Sudan, including treating medical complications in children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and responding to disease outbreaks. Hunger and malnutrition compound the effects of diseases on affected communities as malnourished people are more susceptible to developing severe forms of diseases such as cholera and measles.
In 2026, WHO has provided training, supplies and other support to all 161 operational nutrition stabilization centres across the country, helping treat over 26 000 children with SAM and medical complications between January and August.
The health system remains severely weakened by conflict, displacement, attacks on health care and chronic funding shortages. Since 15 April 2023, WHO has verified 228 attacks on health care that have led to 2055 deaths and 817 injuries. By 2026, 37% of the country’s health facilities had stopped functioning.
With only 23% of its US$ 97.7 million humanitarian appeal funded, WHO is calling for increased funding and sustained humanitarian access to expand essential health, nutrition and hygiene services to prevent further deterioration.
Note to editors
About the IPC
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative multi-stakeholder global initiative aimed at enhancing food security and nutrition analysis to inform decisions. Learn more.