KHARTOUM – Sudan’s government has rejected international warnings that the country faces a growing risk of famine, saying strategic food reserves and ongoing agricultural production are sufficient to meet national needs even as an estimated 19.5 million people face acute food insecurity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation described the food situation as “reassuring” and said government measures were addressing shortages in areas affected by poor rainfall, desertification and the displacement of farming communities.
The government said strategic reserves and current agricultural operations would provide sufficient food and contribute to greater stability across the country.
It provided no figures on the size of those reserves or estimates of food availability in areas identified by international assessments as facing the greatest risk.
The statement came in response to an international warning that Sudan’s food security situation was deteriorating rapidly and that urgent action was needed to prevent famine in the coming months.
An estimated 19.5 million people — about 41% of Sudan’s population — are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 5 million at emergency levels.
The international assessment also warned that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could exceed a projected 825,000 if conditions continue to worsen.
Areas facing severe food insecurity are also expected to increase, with the number initially identified at 14 projected to double.
Government Rejects Humanitarian Truce Arguments
Sudan’s government accused some countries and international organizations of politicizing the humanitarian situation.
It argued that proposals for a humanitarian truce could provide the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with an opportunity to rearm and redeploy.
Khartoum also rejected what it described as attempts to use humanitarian assistance to support armed groups and warned against using food as a weapon of war.
The government said it remained responsible for protecting civilians and ensuring access to food and medicine while preserving Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The international warning, however, identified the war as the primary driver of Sudan’s hunger crisis.
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since April 2023 has displaced millions of people, damaged infrastructure and disrupted agriculture, health services, supply chains and markets.
The deterioration has been compounded by reduced rainfall and drought across large parts of the country.
International partners also cited restrictions on humanitarian access as a major factor increasing famine risks.
They called on the warring parties to allow safe, rapid and unrestricted aid delivery across front lines and international borders, including air access to Darfur.
The statement also urged protection for humanitarian personnel and civilian infrastructure, particularly agricultural facilities and food systems.
Khartoum Says Aid Access Has Improved
Sudan’s government said it continued to cooperate with humanitarian agencies and had facilitated assistance to areas across the country, including territories outside government control.
The Foreign Ministry said aid had been allowed through humanitarian corridors, border crossings and airports.
It also said authorities had eased visa procedures, travel permits and other requirements for humanitarian personnel.
Government agencies were working to resolve remaining obstacles to humanitarian operations, the ministry said.
International humanitarian organizations have repeatedly stressed that access varies significantly between regions, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Darfur and Kordofan.
The dispute over Sudan’s food situation comes against a history of severe hunger during the war, with international food-security monitoring repeatedly identifying areas facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
The latest warning focuses on the risk of a renewed deterioration as poor rainfall combines with conflict, displacement and damaged agricultural production.
International partners called for an urgent increase in humanitarian funding and greater support for Sudan’s winter agricultural season and locally led responses.
Sudan’s government maintained that the country was not facing famine and said agricultural production and strategic reserves provided grounds for confidence.
The difference between the government’s assessment and international food-security warnings underscores the competing accounts of conditions in areas where conflict and access restrictions make independent monitoring difficult.
