19.5 million people in Sudan are facing a severe food crisis.

16 May 2026 (PEN) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF have warned that some 19.5 million people in Sudan, or two out of every five people, are facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis.

The organizations said in a joint statement that the analysis did not currently identify areas experiencing famine, but it showed that about 135,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity in 14 hotspots in Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan, areas at risk of famine in the coming months.

The statement added that more than 5 million people are classified as being in the emergency phase, while another 14 million people are in the crisis phase, warning of deteriorating conditions during the hunger season between June and September.

The organizations stressed that the hunger crisis in Sudan shows no clear signs of abating as the conflict enters its fourth year, amid continued violence, displacement and severe restrictions on access to humanitarian aid.

It also warned of a worsening malnutrition crisis, predicting that around 825,000 children under the age of five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2026, an increase of 7% compared to 2025, and about 25% compared to pre-conflict levels.

Between January and March of this year, nearly 100,000 children were admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition, a condition that can lead to death if not treated urgently.

The statement indicated that the number of internally displaced persons in Sudan approached 9 million by the end of March 2026, while many families remain trapped in areas of fighting or in remote areas lacking aid and basic services.

The organizations said that the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including markets, health facilities, water systems and agricultural assets, has severely restricted food production and access to services, noting that about 40% of health facilities are out of service, 17 million people lack safe drinking water, and 24 million people lack adequate sanitation services.

She warned that outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles, malaria, dengue fever, hepatitis, diphtheria and diarrheal diseases accelerate the deterioration of the nutritional situation, especially among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

The statement stressed that restrictions on humanitarian access in Sudan remain among the most severe in the world, due to insecurity, bureaucratic obstacles, attacks on supply routes, destruction of markets and means of production, and restrictions on the movement of people and goods.

The organizations explained that the Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026 had received only 20% of the required funding as of last April, making the available aid insufficient compared to the size