Sudanese government has vehemently rejected a recent United Nations backed report declaring that famine has spread across five regions of the war-torn country. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, used by UN agencies, issued the report after mounting warnings from the international community, including the United States and aid organizations, about Sudan’s worsening hunger crisis.
The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left around 638,000 people in famine conditions, while another 8.1 million face the threat of mass starvation, according to IPC. The Sudanese foreign ministry was quick to dismiss the findings, branding the description of famine “categorically false” and accusing the report of lacking proper transparency and procedural rigor. The ministry argued that IPC’s team had not consulted with the government or had access to updated data before releasing the report.
The IPC, which conducts evidence-based analysis to gauge food security, has not responded to the Sudanese government’s claims. According to its website, the IPC insists on a strict, unbiased assessment process.
The humanitarian organizations raised alarm despite the denial from the government about the bad situation in Sudan, which has been suffering with millions of people due to the ongoing conflict that started in April 2023. In addition to famine, the country has witnessed massive displacement; more than 12 million people have been uprooted from their homes. The World Food Program issued a warning that Sudan stands on the brink of being the world’s largest hunger crisis in recent history.
The humanities effort is also stained by bureaucratic setbacks in which the government has been accused of blocking access teams from accessing RSF areas. According to International Rescue Committee, Sudan was dubbed “the biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded” while calling on its leaders to declare an end to this war that enables humanitarian assistance to penetrate it.
