Sudan

Famine in Sudan

Sudan is facing the world’s worst famine. Catastrophic food insecurity has spread to four areas and threatens 20 more. Over four million people are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, and the country’s health system has virtually collapsed. Action Against Hunger is responding in hunger hotspots, but funding shortfalls threaten overall humanitarian response to the crisis.

Sudan Becomes the World’s Hungriest Country as Famine Spreads to Two New Areas of Darfur

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Quick Facts

Population: 50.4 million
People in Need: 30.4 million

Our Impact

People Helped Last Year: 753,246
Our Team: 112 employees
Program Start: 2018

Crisis Update

5 February 2026

Two famines were confirmed in Sudan in 2025 in El Fasher and Kadugli, and the crisis has now spread to two additional areas of North Darfur. Ongoing conflict has driven mass displacement from El Fasher, overwhelming local communities and severely straining already limited resources. More than half of children in Um Baru and one third of children in Kernoi are now suffering from acute malnutrition. With this latest escalation, Sudan has become the country with the highest number of territories experiencing active famine worldwide.

Food insecurity and malnutrition have continued to worsen, with more than 4.2 million estimated cases of malnutrition—an increase of 13.5 percent from 2025. This includes 800,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children under five, the deadliest form of hunger, which can cause lifelong complications even after recovery.

At the same time, access to drinking water is extremely limited, and the health system has nearly collapsed: 80 percent of health facilities are damaged or no longer functioning. Outbreaks of cholera, measles, and diarrhea are increasing rapidly, particularly in displacement camps where access to safe water and sanitation is scarce.

Our teams remain on the ground, delivering life-saving assistance and working to prevent famine from spreading further. Without an urgent and scaled-up response, mortality is expected to rise sharply in the coming months, especially during the upcoming lean season and seasonal rains.

The State of Hunger in Sudan

Since April 2023, Sudan has been experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, with 30.4 million people in need of assistance. Over 12.8 million people have been displaced, making it the largest internal displacement crisis globally. Prolonged dry spells, erratic rains, and subsequent crop failures have also contributed to disastrous hunger and malnutrition rates. Sudan’s health system has long been under extreme stress, and women and girls face additional risks of gender-based violence. Food insecurity is widespread, and malnutrition rates exceed emergency thresholds. Famine was confirmed in the Zamzam IDP camp in August 2024 and has spread to 10 areas.

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How We're Helping in Sudan

We deliver lifesaving and resilience-building programs to over 750,000 people through integrated interventions. In the nutrition and health sector, last year, over 36,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition, and more than 275,000 people received essential healthcare services.

Our food security programs provided cash assistance to over 16,500 households and agricultural tools and materials to over 3,300 families to increase food production. In the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector, our teams enable entire communities to access clean water and deliver hygiene training sessions to prevent disease outbreaks. Our cross-border logistics hubs in Chad and South Sudan facilitate aid delivery to hard-to-reach areas.

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