The leading expert on food crises globally has identified famine in two regions of conflict-ridden Sudan, specifically in El Fasher, where paramilitary groups are reportedly carrying out large-scale killings. According to a report released on Monday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine has been confirmed in El Fasher and Kadugli, cities located in the Darfur region and South Kordofan province, respectively. The IPC highlighted that these areas have experienced a complete breakdown of livelihoods, leading to starvation, severe malnutrition, and fatalities.
In addition to El Fasher and Kadugli, twenty other areas in Darfur and South Kordofan are also facing the risk of famine due to escalating violence in recent months. El Fasher, which had been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for 18 months, witnessed a takeover last week, resulting in numerous killings and attacks on the population. Reports and videos have surfaced depicting RSF atrocities against civilians, including beatings, killings, and sexual assaults.
Kadugli has similarly been besieged by the RSF for months, leaving tens of thousands of individuals trapped as the group aims to expand its control over the region. The World Food Program had previously confirmed famine in ten areas in April, based on IPC data. Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in conflict between the military and RSF, resulting in over 40,000 reported deaths and displacement of more than 14 million people, exacerbating disease outbreaks and leading to famine conditions in parts of the country.
Efforts are underway to establish a humanitarian truce in Sudan, with the U.S. envoy engaging both conflicting parties. The International Criminal Court is also investigating reports of mass killings in the Darfur region. As of September, around 375,000 individuals in Darfur and South Kordofan have been pushed into famine, while an additional 6.3 million across the country are facing emergency levels of food insecurity. Save the Children reported that food supplies had depleted in Kadugli, prompting tens of thousands to flee amidst escalating violence.
The IPC has classified famine based on severe food insecurity levels, with specific criteria including acute malnutrition rates among children and deaths related to malnutrition. Famine has been confirmed only a few times in the past, with recent occurrences in Gaza, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Dilling, another town in South Kordofan, reportedly faces similar conditions to Kadugli but lacks sufficient data for a famine declaration. The ICRC President expressed concerns about the trapped civilians in El Fasher lacking essential supplies urgently needed for survival.
The report also highlighted other nearby towns at risk of famine, urging for a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and mitigate acute food insecurity. The IPC emphasized the importance of humanitarian intervention to address the dire situation in Sudan.