Famine declared in parts of Sudan as conflict blocks aid, USAID warns

January 3, 2024 (WASHINGTON) – “Famine is ongoing in five areas of North Darfur, and West and South Kordofan,” USAID Administrator Samantha Power said in a statement. “This harrowing finding is made even more devastating by the fact that these conditions are man-made.”

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has severely restricted humanitarian access, preventing lifesaving assistance from reaching those in dire need.

“The war … and bureaucratic access restrictions imposed by the parties to the conflict have greatly limited humanitarian access,” Power said.

Half of Sudan’s population is now facing acute levels of food insecurity, with at least 638,000 people living in famine conditions, according to USAID.

The agency warned that if conditions do not improve, famine is projected to spread to five additional areas of Sudan by May 2025.

“Millions of innocent lives are at stake, and the time to act is now,” Power said, calling on the warring parties to allow full and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the country.

USAID said its partners, the World Food Programme and UNICEF, successfully delivered aid to tens of thousands of Sudanese in areas at risk of famine last week.

The conflict has devastated Sudan, leaving over 30 million of the country’s approximately 50 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 12 million displaced.