Sudan hunger crisis worsens as World Food Programme funding falls sharply
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An elderly woman with a tray in a Syrian refugee camp, showcasing resilience and modesty. File photo. |
KHARTOUM — September 15, 2026
Sudan's hunger crisis is worsening as funding for the World Food Programme (WFP) has fallen by about half this year, limiting the agency's ability to provide food to millions of people affected by war. WFP acting Executive Director Carl Skau said the organisation now has access to areas it cannot fully serve because of a severe funding shortage.
Skau spoke after travelling through Sudan, including the Darfur region. He said WFP is facing a funding gap of just under $300 million to maintain its current operations.
WFP received $645 million for its Sudan operations last year, but had secured only $206 million by September this year, Skau said. With the conflict continuing to displace people, damage agriculture and weaken the economy, the reduced funding is forcing the agency to make difficult decisions about where to concentrate its assistance.
Nearly 20 million people in Sudan are facing hunger, according to the figures cited by WFP. Because of limited resources, the agency has focused on about 5 million people considered most in need and has recently increased the number it reaches to around 4 million.
In Tawila, in North Darfur, WFP can reach the large displaced population every month but is providing only half of a normal food ration. The amount is enough to cover roughly two weeks, leaving uncertainty about how people manage for the remainder of each month.
The situation is also worsening in El Obeid, a central Sudanese city that has become a major refuge for people displaced since fighting began in April 2023. Around 1 million people have sought refuge there, but WFP is currently prioritising people who arrived in recent months.
Skau said aid levels in El Obeid were better a year ago because more resources were available. The reduction in assistance comes as the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to disrupt food production, markets and humanitarian operations across the country.
WFP has also recently resumed food assistance in al-Fashir, a major city in North Darfur that was once home to about 1 million people. An RSF attack on the city last year was described by investigators as bearing the hallmarks of genocide, and Skau said there were still few signs of normal life returning.
The funding crisis extends beyond food assistance. The International Organization for Migration said emergency supplies for hundreds of thousands of displaced Sudanese could run out within weeks unless donors provide additional money.
IOM said stocks of shelter materials, sanitation supplies and essential household items were expected to run out by the end of September. Without new funding, the wider aid operation would only be able to continue until December.
Humanitarian agencies have faced growing financial pressure after the United States, previously the world's largest foreign aid donor, reduced billions of dollars in assistance to UN agencies and charities. Other major donor countries have also reduced aid budgets while directing more resources toward defence and dealing with tighter public finances.
IOM estimates that 8.6 million people remain displaced inside Sudan, while another 4.9 million have returned to their homes. The agency says it needs $15 million to keep its aid pipeline operating through the end of the year and support about 305,000 people.
Without that funding, IOM warned that more than 100 humanitarian organisations could face difficulties delivering urgent assistance quickly. The combined shortages are placing additional pressure on an already weakened humanitarian system as Sudan's war continues.
