Sudan

Famine in Sudan

Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with more than 21 million people facing acute food insecurity, and at least 375,000 people in famine conditions. Conflict continues to displace families and heighten risks for hunger, disease and gender-based violence. Our teams are rapidly responding with Health and Nutrition, WASH, and Protection support.

Escalating Violence in Sudan’s Kordofan Deepens Humanitarian Crisis

Help Now

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

9 January 2026

One thousand days of violence have pushed Sudan into a humanitarian catastrophe. The country is now facing a nationwide emergency marked by hunger, displacement, and the collapse of essential services. Today, more than 33 million people urgently need assistance, struggling to access food, healthcare, clean water, and protection.

Two famines have been declared, and 21 million people are facing hunger. Families are also enduring the largest displacement crisis in the world. Nearly 14 million people have been forced from their homes, many fleeing multiple times in search of safety.

The water crisis is just as severe. Sixty percent of drinking water services are not operational, fueling outbreaks of disease. By the end of last year, cholera had infected more than 72,000 people and claimed over 2,000 lives.

In this context, the state of the health system is alarming. In conflict-affected areas, 70–80% of hospitals and health centers are still non-operational, leaving over half the population without basic healthcare and turning treatable conditions into deadly ones.

As Sudan reaches 1,000 days of conflict and needs continue to rise dramatically, only 33% of the necessary humanitarian aid has been funded. Action Against Hunger is therefore making an urgent appeal to the international community to step up efforts and resources to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and allow the safe passage of people fleeing the conflict.

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.

Help Now

01. 02. 03.

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.

Help Now