The United Nations refugee and food agencies have sounded on July 1st an urgent alarm over the escalating malnutrition crisis facing millions of Sudanese refugees, citing dire funding shortages that are crippling life-saving humanitarian operations.
UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch stated that Sudan now ranks among the countries with the highest prevalence of global acute malnutrition, with severe cases, particularly evident among recent arrivals in Chad and Uganda.
In Chad’s Tine region alone, 11.2% of children under five are experiencing severe acute malnutrition, while over 30% suffer from moderate malnutrition. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are similarly affected, with over 10% suffering nutritional deficits.
The crisis extends beyond physical health, bearing deep protection concerns. Baloch warned that the lack of adequate nutrition is forcing displaced families to adopt desperate survival strategies, including early marriage, school dropouts, and child exploitation. UNHCR’s capacity to respond is severely hampered, with major programs—such as nutrition surveys—scaled back due to dwindling funds. The 2025 Regional Refugee Response Plan has received only 15% of its needed funding, underscoring the critical gaps in response capacity at a time of growing need.
The World Food Programme (WFP) echoed the concerns, warning that it may soon be unable to sustain food support across key refugee-hosting nations such as Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya. Since the outbreak of the Sudanese crisis in April 2023, WFP has provided food and cash to millions, but operations now hang in the balance without immediate donor contributions. Shaun Hughes, WFP’s emergency coordinator, stressed that over \$200 million is urgently required to maintain refugee support, alongside \$575 million for operations within Sudan. He concluded that only meaningful political action and financial commitment can prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis.