World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has sounded the alarm on September 7 over Sudan’s escalating humanitarian disaster, warning that famine has already been confirmed in parts of the country.
He revealed that more than 770,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, with WHO supporting 142 Centres that have treated over 20,000 children to date. Alongside hunger, Sudan is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak that has spread across all 18 states, infecting more than 105,000 people and claiming 2,600 lives.
The situation is particularly dire in North Darfur, where the city of El-Fasher has endured a siege lasting more than 500 days amid relentless fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Local doctors reported that recent RSF artillery strikes killed 18 civilians and injured more than 100 others. The UN has described Sudan as the world’s largest hunger crisis, with aid operations crippled by insecurity and access restrictions. Since the war erupted in April 2023, over 20,000 people have been officially killed and 14 million displaced, though independent research suggests the true death toll may exceed 130,000.