Sudan – Famine conditions continue and about 34 million people are in need of aid in 2026

The most prominent developments in the humanitarian situation:

🔹Famine expands: After famine was detected in El Fasher and Kadugli, two additional areas in North Darfur (Um Baru and Karnoi) exceeded famine thresholds, with Um Baru recording a malnutrition rate of 52.9%, which is nearly double the famine threshold.

🔹Displacement and food crisis: The fighting has displaced 9.6 million people, while more than 21 million face high levels of acute food insecurity as a result of targeting markets and supply routes.

🔹 Worsening malnutrition: Cases of acute malnutrition are expected to rise to 4.2 million cases in 2026, with an additional 20 areas in Darfur and Kordofan already threatened by famine.

🔹Collapse of services: More than a third of health facilities have stopped working, amid administrative and security obstacles that prevent the arrival of aid, and a severe shortage of international funding.

Is famine still present in Sudan now?

Previous IPC analysis predicted that famine in El Fasher and Kadugli cities would continue until January 2025. However, this does not mean that famine conditions have ended for the time being.

Given the evolving situation in these areas and the latest available data, it is very likely that famine conditions are still persisting.

Urgent demands:

The initiative called for the following steps:

🔹 Ending hostilities, protecting civilians, and protecting food, water and health systems.

🔹 Ensuring safe and sustainable access for humanitarian aid.

🔹 Providing immediate and unrestricted life-saving assistance.

🔹 Allocate sufficient funding across humanitarian sectors and mutual aid mechanisms to avoid catastrophic consequences and further loss of life.

🔹 Ensuring the availability of information systems to enable timely monitoring and evaluation of population conditions.

What is an IPC alert, and how does it differ from an IPC analysis?

In accordance with IPC protocols, the alert does not classify areas or provide population estimates, and does not constitute a famine classification. Rather, it draws urgent attention to food security and nutrition crises based on the latest available evidence to call for immediate action.

This Sudan alert is based on information available as of 27 January, and highlights the deteriorating humanitarian situation, following an IPC analysis published in November 2025, which classified famine (IPC Phase 5) in the cities of El Fasher and Kadugli, and warned of the risk of famine in 20 areas in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.

Since then, two additional areas in North Darfur have crossed famine thresholds for acute malnutrition, and conflict has escalated in North and South Kordofan, creating increasing challenges in reaching besieged or isolated populations and towns, such as El Obeid, Dilling and Kadugli.