Joint ministerial statement on the risk of famine in Sudan

Sudan is experiencing an alarming deterioration in its food security. The risk of famine in the coming months, as warned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, needs urgent action. There is no time to lose to save lives and prevent famine. 

An estimated 19.5 million people (41% of the country’s population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 5 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity. Without immediate action to reverse the current trajectory, the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected 825,000. The number of food insecure areas, initially assessed at 14, is expected to double. 

Conflict is the key driver of Sudan's hunger crisis, displacing millions of people, damaging critical infrastructure and disrupting healthcare provision, food production, supply chains and markets. The situation is being exacerbated by systematic obstruction of aid and the effects of El Niño, which has resulted in reduced rainfall and increased drought across over half of Sudan. 

The parties to the conflict bear primary responsibility for alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people. We urge the parties to lift all impediments on humanitarian assistance, allow and facilitate full, safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access, and protect humanitarian personnel. Left unchecked, these impediments will hamper the ability of the humanitarian response to address famine risk. In practice, we call on the parties to: