Sudan’s Hunger Crisis Deepens as Humanitarian Funding Falls and Aid Operations Face Severe Shortfalls
WFP warns that millions remain dependent on food assistance as conflict, displacement and funding shortages threaten the humanitarian response
21 September 2026 | Port Sudan / Khartoum, Sudan
By Castle Journal Global
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is entering another critical phase as the country’s prolonged war continues to drive hunger and displacement while international funding for food assistance remains far below the level required to meet the scale of need.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) currently estimates that more than 19.5 million people in Sudan face acute hunger, while multiple areas remain at risk of famine. The organisation says it urgently needs US$579 million for operations through October 2026.
The funding shortage is becoming a direct operational problem for humanitarian agencies. WFP says it is reaching more than four million people each month, including populations in some of the hardest-hit areas of Darfur and Kordofan. But available resources are forcing the organisation to prioritise the people facing the most severe levels of hunger.
The crisis comes after more than three years of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has displaced millions of people inside Sudan and across neighbouring countries, while disrupting agriculture, markets, transport routes and access to basic services.
19.5 million facing acute food insecurity
The latest WFP figures indicate that almost 19.5 million people are experiencing crisis-level food insecurity or worse. WFP also estimates that 825,000 children under five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition during 2026. Around nine million people have been forced from their homes by the conflict.
A joint FAO-WFP assessment published earlier this year identified Sudan as one of the world’s most serious hunger hotspots. The assessment found that 19.5 million people — around 41 percent of the population — were already facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity through May 2026, with several areas at risk of famine.
The danger is not limited to food availability. Humanitarian agencies are also facing major difficulties moving supplies through conflict-affected areas.
Aid routes increasingly difficult to maintain
In July, WFP warned that El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, was becoming a major centre of displacement and hunger as people moved toward the city from areas affected by fighting.
WFP reported that hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people were arriving in and around El Obeid, placing additional pressure on food, water, fuel and other basic supplies. The organisation also said that insecurity had prevented humanitarian deliveries to approximately 200,000 people in June alone.
The agency had warned that its food stocks could become severely depleted by September and fully exhausted in October without sufficient funding. At that stage, WFP estimated that it required US$646 million between June and November to support a planned 8.5 million people and help sustain food production.
The financial requirements have therefore become an increasingly important part of the Sudan crisis itself: humanitarian organisations may have the capacity to deliver assistance, but their ability to continue doing so depends on contributions arriving in time.
Aid deliveries have also come under attack
The humanitarian operation has faced security threats as well as financial pressure.
On 30 August, two trucks carrying WFP food assistance were attacked outside Dilling in South Kordofan while travelling towards Kadugli. WFP said the trucks were clearly marked with its flags and banners and that the attack destroyed more than 50 metric tonnes of food, enough to provide assistance to about 5,800 people for one month.
WFP said the incident was part of a wider deterioration in the operating environment for humanitarian organisations. The agency reported that, since the beginning of 2026, it had recorded eight aerial attacks affecting its premises or operations.
The organisation has called on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and humanitarian assets.
International funding remains the central pressure point
There have nevertheless been new contributions.
On 9 September, the Republic of Korea announced a US$5 million contribution to WFP’s Sudan operation. WFP said the funding would provide emergency food assistance to approximately 365,000 people and school meals for 23,000 children, while supporting the procurement of cereals for emergency operations and school feeding.
The contribution illustrates the continuing role of international donors, but WFP’s current funding requirement shows that substantially larger resources are needed to maintain operations across the country.
The humanitarian situation is also connected to developments beyond Sudan’s borders. WFP says disruptions in the Red Sea are affecting critical imports and increasing the cost of food, fuel and fertiliser, adding another layer of economic pressure to an already fragile environment.
A crisis extending beyond food
Sudan’s hunger emergency is therefore not simply a question of food distribution. It reflects the interaction of armed conflict, displacement, damaged infrastructure, restricted humanitarian access, disrupted markets and insufficient international financing.
The immediate humanitarian objective remains preventing further deterioration in food security and maintaining access to people already facing the highest levels of need.
For Sudanese civilians, however, the longer-term solution remains tied to the wider war. Humanitarian assistance can provide food and nutritional support, but it cannot substitute for an end to the conflict, restoration of safe access and the rebuilding of livelihoods and basic services.
As the war continues into its fourth year, the gap between humanitarian needs and available resources has become one of the defining pressures on Sudan’s civilian population.
Castle Journal Global will continue to follow the humanitarian, political and security developments in Sudan through official international and Sudanese sources.
CJG — Castle Journal Global Newspaper
Published by CJ & COHC — Castles Union for Independent, International British Investigative Journalism
London–UK | Official Governance Licensing
Founder | Owner | CEO: Dr. Abeer Almadawy
