A United Nations-backed global hunger monitor has officially confirmed famine conditions in two Sudanese cities for the first time, marking a devastating milestone in the country’s 30-month civil war.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed that the cities of al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, and Kadugli, in South Kordofan state, are now experiencing famine. The declaration comes just days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured al-Fashir following a prolonged siege.
The confirmation aligns with harrowing accounts from civilians who have managed to flee the besieged areas. One survivor from al-Fashir described the impossibility of daily life, stating, “The circumstances became very difficult. There was no food, no transportation, and it was very difficult to leave home to find food or water for me.”
The civilian detailed being shot and suffering broken bones while attempting to fetch water from a public pump. “Thanks be to God that no one from my family was with me,” the survivor added. “Most of them were killed in the shelling.”
The famine is a direct consequence of the intense fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which has displaced millions, destroyed agriculture, and severely disrupted supply routes. During the 18-month siege of al-Fashir, residents reported that food supplies were completely cut off, forcing people to survive on animal feed and, in some cases, animal hides.
While the IPC had previously only confirmed famine in displacement camps around al-Fashir, the new assessment confirms the catastrophic situation has spread to the cities themselves. The crisis is not isolated; the hunger monitoring group warns that famine is also now threatening 20 other areas in Darfur and the central Kordofan region, where fighting has recently intensified.
The declaration of famine signifies that households are already experiencing an extreme lack of food, leading to starvation, death, and destitution. As international aid organizations struggle to access conflict zones, thousands of civilians continue to flee al-Fashir for surrounding towns, though the path to safety remains perilous and the resources in receiving areas are stretched to their limits.
