The World Food Programme (WFP) has raised alarm over an impending famine in areas south of Sudan’s war-torn capital, Khartoum, warning that parts of Jabal Awliya are already experiencing “severe levels of hunger” amid widespread devastation. The Agency is calling for urgent international funding to address a ballooning humanitarian crisis as the country teeters on the edge of collapse.
Speaking from Port Sudan on Monday, WFP’s Country Director, Laurent Bukera, described the dire situation after returning from Khartoum State, where the agency has recently opened a new field office in Omdurman. “The needs are immense,” he said. “We witnessed ghost-like neighbourhoods, destroyed infrastructure, and severe disruptions to water, health services, and electricity — all compounded by a cholera outbreak.” Bukera confirmed that WFP has begun food distributions in Jabal Awliya, where the level of hunger underscores the high risk of famine in the area.
While WFP has scaled up aid to reach four million people monthly across Sudan — up from one million at the start of 2024 — it still faces a staggering funding shortfall of over \$500 million for emergency needs and \$700 million across all operations. With 25 million people grappling with acute food insecurity and the return of displaced persons to shattered urban centres such as Khartoum, Bukera emphasised that food assistance could offer a stabilising effect. “This is the moment to stand with the Sudanese people,” he urged, “to help bring them back from the brink and anchor the peace that will allow recovery to begin.”