Famine is on the rise in Sudan’s western Darfur region, according to experts backed by the United Nations. The recent paramilitary takeover of El-Fasher, the main city in the area, has caused a mass exodus of people into surrounding communities.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a destructive conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, nearly 11 million displacements, and widespread famine across multiple regions.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a warning stating that the famine threshold for acute malnutrition has been exceeded in the contested areas of Um Baru and Kernoi in North Darfur, near the Chad border.
The escalation of famine is attributed to the fall of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which resulted in a significant displacement of residents and internally displaced persons into neighboring areas.
El-Fasher, previously the last stronghold of the Sudanese army in western Darfur, was captured by the RSF last October following intense bombardment and starvation lasting 18 months.
The recent alert, based on data up to February, comes after the confirmation of famine conditions in El-Fasher and Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, located about 800 kilometers to the east, three months ago.
Kadugli endured a prolonged RSF siege during the country’s nearly three-year conflict until the army recently lifted the blockade. Dilling, a nearby area where the army broke an RSF siege, is suspected to be facing similar famine conditions, but official confirmation is hindered by lack of access and ongoing insecurity.
The IPC identified 20 additional areas in Darfur and neighboring Kordofan at risk of famine. Conflict between the army and RSF in Kordofan has displaced around 88,000 individuals since October, as reported by the latest UN data.
The capture of El-Fasher, accompanied by reports of widespread atrocities including mass killings, rape, and abductions, led to the displacement of at least 127,000 people to nearby towns, according to the same data.
Experts from the IPC emphasized that the influx of tens of thousands of malnourished individuals into already vulnerable areas of North Darfur is likely to significantly increase the number of people facing severe food insecurity.
