UN warns of catastrophic hunger peak in Sudan as aid cuts begin
September 11, 2025 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations warned on Thursday that Sudan is heading for a “catastrophic peak” of hunger as funding shortfalls are forcing the World Food Programme (WFP) to cut life-saving aid for millions, even as a UN envoy intensifies a push for peace.
In a briefing, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that for the first time, the WFP is withdrawing support in accessible areas of the conflict-ridden country, where nearly half the population—approximately 25 million people—is acutely hungry.
“Currently, WFP only has the resources to support four million people a month,” Dujarric told reporters. “That’s one in six of the people in need and half of what they had planned.”
The aid cuts mean millions of displaced people and overstretched host communities will no longer receive assistance. For others, ration sizes have been reduced. In Kassala, eastern Sudan, where aid for internally displaced people has been stopped, UN teams are already seeing a rise in malnutrition.
Dujarric warned that with the lean season underway, the crisis will worsen through September, “pushing millions of people even deeper into extreme hunger.” These challenges are compounded by administrative impediments and a lack of access to conflict hotspots, particularly in the Kordofan and Darfur regions.
The dire humanitarian update comes as the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, begins a new diplomatic mission in East Africa.
Lamamra is currently in Nairobi, Kenya, to meet with Sudanese political stakeholders before heading to Port Sudan to engage with authorities. According to Dujarric, the envoy will “reiterate his calls on all relevant actors to engage in constructive dialogue leading to a sustainable peace” and seek progress on the protection of civilians.
The envoy is also working with the African Union to jointly convene a ministerial-level meeting in Addis Ababa to unify mediation efforts.
“We urge the international community to step up and fund our operations,” Dujarric concluded.