UN sounds alarm as hunger, disease and climate shocks ravage Sudan

July 30, 2025 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations warned on Wednesday of “cascading crises” across Sudan, where people are reportedly dying of hunger in the besieged city of El Fasher, a cholera outbreak is spreading, and floods and extreme heat have newly displaced thousands.

The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said it was alarmed by the rising toll of hunger, disease, and displacement, while a multi-billion-dollar aid plan to address the catastrophe remains critically underfunded.

In the city of El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, the situation is particularly dire, with local sources reporting deaths from hunger and malnutrition, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.

“Community-run kitchens have shut down due to a lack of food stocks, and some residents have reportedly resorted to consuming animal feed,” Haq said.

Nearby, in the Tawila locality, aid partners have scaled up their response to a cholera outbreak but report that medical supplies are running low and there is an urgent need for clean water and sanitation. In East Darfur, a displacement site hosting over 7,000 people is facing severe food shortages as the ongoing conflict continues to block aid deliveries.

At the same time, extreme weather is exacerbating the suffering. In eastern Kassala state, torrential rains have devastated a displacement camp, flooding tents and affecting more than 6,000 people. In North Kordofan, heavy rains on Monday displaced around 550 people and damaged over 170 homes.

Meanwhile, the city of Port Sudan is grappling with a deadly heatwave. At least three people have reportedly died and over 50 have suffered sunstroke this week amid temperatures reaching 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) and prolonged power outages that have overwhelmed hospitals.

“These cascading crises demand increased international support,” Haq stated.

The 2025 humanitarian response plan for Sudan, which seeks $4.2 billion to assist 21 million people, has so far received only $952 million, leaving it just 23 per cent funded.

“OCHA once again calls on donors to scale up funding for the response,” Haq said.