Sudan is facing a looming lean season that could push millions toward greater hunger. This page answers the core questions people ask about the crisis, who is at risk, where aid is most needed, how violence and displacement affect food access, and what international steps could avert famine. Use the questions below to navigate the latest on IPC findings, access challenges, and humanitarian responses.
The lean season refers to the months when food stocks are depleted and prices rise ahead of the harvest, typically driving higher hunger levels. In Sudan, IPC data shows about 19.5 million people are experiencing various levels of food insecurity, with the lean period threatening to worsen conditions as income, markets, and aid access are strained. While no area is yet in famine, the risk climbs during June–September if aid delivery is hindered and prices stay high.
Acute needs are concentrated in regions affected by conflict, sieges, and disrupted supply lines. Vulnerable groups include children under five and displaced households. Gaps typically include timely access for aid convoys, secure routes for food distributions, and enough funding to reach all at-risk communities. Ongoing safety concerns and bureaucratic barriers can slow or block relief, widening hunger gaps.
Violence and displacement disrupt farming, markets, and humanitarian corridors. Attacks on aid workers, blockages around besieged areas, and flight of residents reduce the number of people who can receive food assistance. Displacement also strains host communities and can complicate logistics. Together, these factors push more people toward higher food insecurity during the lean season.
Potential responses include: increasing humanitarian funding and rapid assistance to cover emergency needs; negotiation of safe corridors and truces to allow aid delivery; scaling up nutrition programs for children and pregnant women; supporting agricultural inputs and climate-resilient farming to rebuild stocks; and coordinating with regional partners to ensure sustained access to food, water, and essential services. Timely, well-funded action is critical to prevent deterioration into famine in any region.
IPC warnings signal that millions are at risk of varying levels of hunger, with hundreds of thousands at risk of severe malnutrition in 2026. It’s a call to action for governments, donors, and aid groups to scale up support, protect civilians, and ensure that food, water, and healthcare reach those most in need. While no area is classified as famine yet, the risk is real and escalating if access remains limited and prices stay high.
Reports from AP News, Reuters, The Independent, and Arab News synthesize IPC findings and note factors like drone warfare, siege dynamics, drought, and rising fertilizer costs that drive the crisis. These sources underscore the interplay between conflict and hunger, and the urgent need for safe aid access and sustained humanitarian funding to avert a deeper food emergency.
Some 19.5 million Sudanese people, or more than 40% of the population, are facing acute hunger, according to a report by a global hunger monitor, as the contours of a war that has created the world's worst hunger crisis shift.