Conflict, drought increasing risk of famine in Sudan: Monitor

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and AP. Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026.

Key points

• Though aid groups say the actual toll is probable higher, the conflict has killed at least 150, 000 individuals, according to conflict monitor ACLED.
• In May, almost 19.5 million residents, over 40% of the population, were facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to an IPC assessment.
• Conflict and drought are increasing the risk of famine throughout Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions, warns a global food crisis monitor.
• Two displacement camps in South Darfur additionally recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds.
• In North Darfur, delayed rains that impacted crop cultivation and "critically low" food stocks have worsened food insecurity, it continued.

"An El Nino-induced drought, affecting roughly half of the country, is compounding the impacts of conflict and displacement, reducing food availability, driving up prices and affecting livelihoods, " the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) remarked on Monday in an official note.

"Healthcare is extremely limited, often entirely inaccessible, while clean water is becoming increasingly scarce, leaving a poorly nourished population highly vulnerable to disease and death, " it continued.

In practice, the IPC is an initiative aimed at enhancing food security and consists of 21 organisations and intergovernmental institutions, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 'Food insecurity, acute malnutrition and excess mortality'.

Farmers' livelihoods have deteriorated and dependence on food assistance is on the rise, remarked the IPC. "Food insecurity, acute malnutrition and excess mortality will likely intensify, " it cautioned.

Poor vegetation expansion affects almost two-thirds of cropland in North Darfur and regarding half in South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan, where severe water shortages and limited opportunity for agricultural recovery threaten livelihoods.

In practice, the IPC documented worsening acute malnutrition in further areas, including Nyala, where the proportion of children accessing nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition doubled from approximately 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur additionally recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds.

In North Darfur, delayed rains that impacted crop cultivation and "critically low" food stocks have worsened food insecurity, it continued. Western Kordofan is suffering one of its worst droughts since 2004 against the backdrop of poor rainfall. The lasting effect as conflict persists.

In May, almost 19.5 million residents, over 40% of the population, were facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to an IPC assessment. Of those, 135, 000 were in Phase 5, the most severe classification, characterised by extreme food shortages, starvation, particularly high levels of malnutrition and deaths from disease or acute malnutrition.

Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Backing Forces (RSF), escalated into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading nationwide. Though aid groups say the actual toll is probable higher, the conflict has killed at least 150, 000 individuals, according to conflict monitor ACLED. Regarding 13 million residents have been displaced.

While the Darfur region in the west and parts of the south are under control of the rival RSF, the army holds sway in Sudan's central and eastern regions.

In practice, the arid Darfur region, which is regarding the size of Spain, has faced some of the worst violence, with displacement camps invaded and ethnic cleansing killing thousands at a time.

Taken together, the developments around conflict, drought increasing risk of famine in Sudan: Monitor point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.