The leading authority on food crises has identified famine in two regions of war-torn Sudan, including El Fasher, where paramilitary groups are reportedly carrying out mass killings. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported on Monday that famine is present in El Fasher and Kadugli, located in the Darfur region and South Kordofan province, respectively. These areas are experiencing complete collapse of livelihoods, starvation, high levels of malnutrition, and fatalities.
The IPC also highlighted that twenty other areas in Darfur and South Kordofan are at risk of famine due to escalating conflict. El Fasher has been besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for 18 months, leading to severe shortages of food and supplies for the population. Recent reports indicate that the RSF has taken control of the city, resulting in widespread killings and attacks, with limited communication from the region.
Testimonies from civilians and aid workers have detailed atrocities committed by the RSF in El Fasher, including beatings, killings, and sexual assaults. The World Health Organization reported at least 460 deaths at a hospital in the city. In a similar situation, Kadugli has been under RSF siege, trapping tens of thousands of people as the group seeks to expand its territory.
The conflict in Sudan, ongoing since April 2023 between the military and RSF, has claimed over 40,000 lives, according to UN estimates. Aid organizations believe the actual death toll is significantly higher, with more than 14 million people displaced, disease outbreaks, and widespread famine in parts of the country.
Efforts are underway to establish a humanitarian truce in Sudan, with the U.S. envoy engaging with both sides. The International Criminal Court is also collecting evidence from the recent violence in Darfur. As of September, approximately 375,000 individuals are facing famine in Darfur and South Kordofan, while 6.3 million people across Sudan are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity.
Save the Children reported in September that food supplies had run out in Kadugli, leading to escalated fighting and forced displacement. The IPC’s classification of famine is rare and has been confirmed only in a few instances, including in Gaza, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan’s Darfur region.
Dilling, another town in South Kordofan, is facing similar conditions to Kadugli but has not been declared as experiencing famine due to limited data. The RSF’s focus on consolidating control in Darfur and South Kordofan continues, with many civilians still trapped in El Fasher without critical supplies.
The IPC has raised concerns about neighboring towns and communities at risk of famine and called for a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and mitigate acute food insecurity and malnutrition. The situation in Sudan remains dire, with humanitarian interventions urgently needed to address the escalating crisis.