World Food Programme returns to Khartoum after 3 years of war amid record levels of hunger

^{A truck belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP account on X)}

10 April 2026 (PEN) The World Food Programme announced the return of its country office to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, after nearly three years of war, at a time when Sudan is facing one of the world's worst hunger crises.

The program's deputy executive director, Carl Scow, said that the resumption of work in Khartoum comes after a meeting with the Sudanese prime minister, and in the presence of the program's new country director, noting that this step is part of the United Nations' efforts to strengthen vital humanitarian assistance.

Scow explained that the capital is showing signs of relative recovery, noting that the airport is operating at full capacity and that residents have begun returning to their homes.

The resumption of the program's operations in Khartoum comes despite continued fighting in large parts of the country, with the UN Humanitarian Air Service operating three flights a week to the capital.

He noted that around 19 million people are suffering from food insecurity in Sudan, making it the largest humanitarian hunger crisis currently, and warned that the situation will worsen if funding shortages continue.

He added: “We need urgent funding to provide life-saving food assistance, support children and mothers, and rebuild communities in safe areas.”

The program stressed that it needs about $600 million to continue its operations in Sudan, at a time when food stocks are expected to run out within weeks, despite its success in providing assistance to about 12 million people, amid fears that this funding crisis could threaten these gains.