Sudan emergency

Up to 2.5 million additional people in Sudan are expected to slip into hunger in the coming months because of ongoing violence. A record number of people, approximately one-third of the population, were already facing hunger before the current conflict erupted.

WFP is also extremely concerned that the conflict could undermine the current planting season, as farmers face insecurity and struggle to cope with soaring prices of fertilizer and seeds.

After a brief pause due to ongoing unrest and insecurity, WFP has restarted its operations in the country to address the immediate needs of refugees, host communities and internally displaced people. We have reached over 1 million people with life-saving assistance despite continued fighting and access challenges. The deteriorating security situation and attacks on aid is making it extremely challenging for WFP to scale up assistance to support 5.9 million conflict-affected million people.

WFP is working around the clock to source and ship food, and to expand its emergency response, as humanitarian needs increase. We are also supporting the wider humanitarian community in their efforts to reach even more conflict-affected people in Sudan.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees are fleeing to escape the violence – most of them heading to Egypt, South Sudan and Chad. WFP is assisting newly arrived refugees with emergency food assistance. However, there is concern about food security in neighbouring countries, many of which are already dealing with multiple crises of their own. 

The depreciation of the Sudanese Pound, in addition to rising food and transportation costs, also makes it harder for families to put food on the table. The war in Ukraine is causing spikes in food costs, as Sudan is dependent on wheat imports from the Black Sea region. Interruption to the flow of grain into Sudan will increase prices and make it difficult to import wheat.