Millions in Sudan Reduced to One Meal a Day as War-driven Hunger Crisis Deepens

By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter

Sudan, 13 April 2026 - Millions of people in Sudan are now surviving on just one meal a day, as a deepening food crisis lays bare the devastating humanitarian cost of a protracted civil war that is increasingly being defined not only by violence, but by hunger.

What began as a political and military confrontation has evolved into a nationwide survival crisis, with entire communities pushed to the edge of famine.

The crisis, highlighted in a joint assessment by international humanitarian organisations, reflects a worsening reality across conflict-affected regions.

Families are skipping meals for days, while in the hardest-hit areas, people are resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, including consuming leaves and animal feed. As the war stretches into its third year, Sudan is fast becoming the epicentre of one of the world’s most severe hunger emergencies.

At the core of this unfolding catastrophe is the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023 and has since fractured the country along territorial and ethnic lines.

Over time, the conflict has shifted from conventional warfare into a prolonged struggle for control over resources, supply routes, and economic lifelines. In this environment, access to food has become as strategically significant as control over land.

The consequences have been far-reaching. Agricultural production has been severely disrupted across key regions such as Darfur and Kordofan, where insecurity has prevented planting and harvesting.

Markets have collapsed, supply chains have been dismantled, and the movement of goods has been restricted by both active fighting and deliberate blockades.

Increasingly, there is growing concern among humanitarian actors that starvation is not merely a byproduct of conflict, but a tactic embedded within it, as parties to the conflict restrict access to food and humanitarian assistance in contested areas.

The scale of food insecurity is staggering. An estimated 28.9 million people, representing more than half of Sudan’s population, are now facing acute hunger, with famine conditions already confirmed in several regions.

In areas such as North Darfur and South Kordofan, the crisis has reached critical levels, with families unable to access more than one meal a day and children experiencing acute malnutrition at rates that exceed emergency thresholds. The situation continues to deteriorate as fighting intensifies and supply routes remain cut off.

Compounding the crisis is a weakening humanitarian response at a time when needs are rapidly escalating.

Aid agencies are grappling with severe funding shortfalls, forcing them to scale back operations even as demand surges. Communal kitchens, which have become a lifeline for many urban households, are struggling to remain operational, while access constraints continue to limit the delivery of assistance to some of the most affected areas.

Millions remain unreached, not because aid is unavailable, but because it cannot be delivered at the scale or speed required.

The crisis is further complicated by political fragmentation and a breakdown in accountability.

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Authorities have pushed back against famine declarations, while armed groups deny responsibility for conditions in areas under their control.

This has created a vacuum in which humanitarian coordination is weakened, verification processes are contested, and responses are delayed. In effect, the crisis continues to deepen even as consensus on its severity remains elusive.

The burden of the crisis is falling disproportionately on the most vulnerable.

Women and children are facing heightened levels of food insecurity, with female-headed households particularly exposed due to limited access to resources and income.

At the same time, the search for food and water has increased exposure to violence, especially for women and girls, adding another layer of risk to an already dire situation.

Rising malnutrition among children is also pointing to long-term developmental consequences that could outlast the conflict itself.

Beyond Sudan’s borders, the implications are becoming increasingly visible.

The crisis is driving large-scale displacement, placing pressure on neighbouring countries and straining already fragile humanitarian systems across the region.

Refugee flows into countries such as Chad are intensifying, while the broader Horn of Africa faces growing risks linked to food insecurity, economic strain, and cross-border instability.

Ultimately, Sudan’s hunger crisis is not simply the result of food shortages, but of a system disrupted by conflict. Food supplies exist in parts of the country, yet they cannot reach those in need. Humanitarian assistance is available, but access remains constrained by insecurity and political barriers. Markets that once sustained livelihoods have been dismantled, leaving millions without reliable means of survival.

As long as the conflict persists, the trajectory is unlikely to improve. The situation underscores a stark and sobering reality: in Sudan, hunger has become both a consequence of war and, increasingly, one of its most devastating instruments.