Crisis of extreme proportions: Sudan, once a thriving food provider, now grapples with a hunger emergency of unparalleled scale and intensity

Edem Wosornu, the director of operations and advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has returned from a visit to Sudan, where he witnessed firsthand the dire humanitarian situation unfolding in the war-torn country.

The crisis in Sudan is placing a severe strain on neighboring countries, particularly Chad, which hosts over 850,000 Sudanese refugees. Wosornu visited Chad and observed the alarming levels of malnutrition and a cholera outbreak threatening both the Sudanese refugees and their host communities.

Access to conflict zones remains a significant challenge, with trucks carrying food and medical supplies stranded at border crossings. Wosornu appeals for more access for journalists and aid workers in Sudan, highlighting the importance of increased media attention to the Sudan crisis.

The conflict in Sudan has been marked by repeated violations of international humanitarian law. More than 638,000 people in Sudan are living with the highest level of food insecurity, and approximately 30 million people require emergency aid. Providing life-saving assistance in Sudan costs just 55 cents per person per day.

The crisis in Sudan is rooted in the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Daglo. The RSF controls much of western Sudan including Darfur, while the SAF holds Khartoum, the eastern regions, and parts of the coast. Current negotiations involve fragile alliances such as the Tagadum coalition with the RSF, but the SAF refuses to sign ceasefires, and no strong unified mediation has succeeded due to deep internal divisions among political and armed groups.

Wosornu calls on all parties involved in the conflict to guarantee humanitarian access across the front lines. He urges the international community to increase funding for the Sudan crisis, with more than 4 million people in Sudan currently internally displaced or refugees. Sudan's crisis funding is currently at 25%, which is higher than the global average of around 17%.

Key cities in Sudan, such as Khartoum, El-Fasher, and El-Geneina, have suffered extensive damage from ongoing violence. El-Fasher in North Darfur has been under siege for over 500 days, severely restricting the delivery of lifesaving aid. Wosornu calls for greater media attention to the Sudan crisis and urges the international community to press for an immediate end to hostilities in Sudan.

One in every three people in eastern Chad's provinces is Sudanese, and the crisis in Sudan is having a profound impact on the region. Wosornu's appeals for humanitarian access and peace in Sudan are a call to action for the international community to address this urgent humanitarian crisis.

Crisis of extreme proportions: Sudan, once a thriving food provider, now grapples with a hunger emergency of unparalleled scale and intensity