U.N. says Sudan famine has spread ‘catastrophically’ one year on

August 13, 2025 (UNITED NATIONS) – A year after famine was first declared in Sudan, the United Nations warned on Wednesday that the crisis has spread catastrophically, with 17 areas now at risk and the besieged city of El Fasher facing starvation, a spokesman said.

The warning marks a significant deterioration since famine was officially confirmed in the Zamzam displacement camp in August 2024.

“The famine has since spread to areas in Darfur and Kordofan,” U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters, adding that at-risk zones now include parts of the Nuba Mountains, Khartoum and Gezira.

The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which remains cut off from aid. The U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) has called for immediate humanitarian access to the city.

While the WFP provides digital cash support to approximately a quarter of a million people in El Fasher, allowing them to purchase food from depleted local markets, the U.N. stated that the aid is insufficient.

“The escalating needs make it imperative to address hunger at scale,” Dujarric said.

He reiterated that the ongoing conflict is the root cause of the crisis and renewed the U.N.’s appeal to the warring parties.

“We renew our calls for all parties to end the violence, resolve to dialogue and to put the interest of their people first,” Dujarric said.