Welthungerhilfe is providing emergency relief
Nearly 7 million people are displaced within their own country, and well over half of the population is dependent on aid – Sudan is suffering a humanitarian crisis. Since spring 2023, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting each other. Analyses show that extreme hunger is prevailing in parts of North Darfur.
Looting, arson, blockades – hunger is used as a weapon and the food system has collapsed.
The situation is deteriorating further. In October 2025 alone, tens of thousands were forced to flee from El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state. Many are seeking refuge in the small town of Tawila. Around 664,000 people are living there under catastrophic conditions and urgently need rapid assistance.
The victims are the local civilian population. Millions have fled out of fear of violence, and many lack adequate access to food and water. The fighting prevents people from going out into the streets, obtaining food supplies, or even engaging in agricultural activities. Welthungerhilfe is on the ground, providing emergency relief.
"In Sudan, a total of over eleven million people have been displaced by the war. Around 8.1 million people are suffering from acute hunger." Mathias Mogge (pictured second from right), WHH Secretary General, was on the ground and described how urgent the situation was.
Without safe supply routes, hunger and malnutrition threaten to strike at nearly inconceivable levels.
Mathias Mogge WHH Secretary GeneralAfter two years of war, the nutrition situation in Sudan is deteriorating rapidly. Agriculture is nearly at a standstill and access for humanitarian aid is extremely limited. "The situation in Sudan is catastrophic. People are dying because they do not have access to food and clean water. [...] Without safe supply routes, hunger and malnutrition threaten to strike at nearly inconceivable levels", says Mathias Mogge.
WHH’s political demands
It is our collective responsibility to bring an end to this crisis. We call for the urgent roll out of the recommendations made by the Famine Review Committee, and emphasize:
- Unimpeded and safe humanitarian access to the people who need help: Establishing humanitarian corridors for the most affected areas in Darfur, Kordofan, Al Jazira and Khartoum and opening the main border crossings to transport relief supplies from both Chad and South Sudan.
- Ceasefire: Parties to the conflict must put an end to the misery and deaths and stop military attacks on civilian facilities that are critical for the survival of the people.
- Increased international pressure for a peaceful solution
- Increased funding for humanitarian action
Even before the current crisis, the food situation was serious, as Sudan is heavily affected by climate change. Droughts and extreme flooding pose a risk to agriculture. Food prices have risen enormously, and the economy has collapsed in many areas. Food security for nearly 25 million people is not guaranteed.
4.9 million people in Sudan are currently in an acute food emergency, and 146,000 are at immediate risk of starvation. The farmers have largely used up their supplies. Due to the fighting, many lack the confidence to go out into their fields to harvest new crops. They also need seeds and tools. WHH is still active in Sudan and is supporting the people in 22 projects.
Our work in Sudan
- We distribute food and cash to enable people to shop for themselves at local markets.
- We give severely malnourished babies and children special high-calorie therapeutic food.
- We train mothers to recognize malnutrition and undernourishment in children.
- We prevent malnutrition and undernourishment by distributing household items such as soap and cooking pots, training on hygiene and cultivation methods adapted to climate change, and offer cooking and nutrition courses.
- We assist in constructing latrines, washing facilities, and waste disposal facilities, including in camps for internally displaced persons, to prevent disease outbreaks.
