On 7 December, the World Food Programme, through its Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau, described the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a “massive humanitarian crisis.” Sudan “is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today,” said Leni Kinzli, WFP communications chief for Sudan, on the same day. “It can no longer be forgotten or ignored, simply because its severity and scale have never been seen at this level.” According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, 21.2 million people – roughly 45% of the Sudanese population – are facing acute food insecurity. Of these, 6 million are in extreme hunger. Due to fighting that blocks aid routes such as the one between El-Fasher and Babnusa, the programme is only able to reach 5 million of them. As early as April 2025, the WFP had warned of a possible funding shortfall that could lead to reduced support for the population.
The war has also caused confirmed famine conditions in Darfur and Kordofan – and there is a real risk that mass atrocities like those seen in El-Fasher could be repeated. Episodes such as the RSF attack on a kindergarten in South Kordofan and systematic sexual violence are raising serious concerns. Since the conflict began in 2023, the wider toll includes 150,000 deaths, 9 million displaced people and more than 30 million in need of humanitarian assistance.
