The first time I met the young Sudanese woman she was kneeling in the dust outside her makeshift shelter in an IDP camp, her three-year-old daughter limp in her arms. The child’s breathing was shallow, her tiny ribcage pressing against skin stretched taut like parchment. Around them, the camp vibrated with the quiet despair of thousands who had fled here, not for safety, but because there was simply nowhere else to go.

“At home, we ate a half meal in a day,” she told me. “Now, no food at home”

I have worked in humanitarian crises, but what is happening in Sudan today is different. This is not just a food crisis, it is the systematic unravelling of an entire nation. As we mark World Hunger Day, over 25 million Sudanese, half the country, now face acute food insecurity. Of these, 8.5 million stand at the brink of famine. These aren’t abstract numbers.

The anatomy of a man-made crisis

Sudan’s descent into hunger is no accident of nature. It is the direct consequence of more than two years of brutal war, compounded by international indifference. In many cities, where vibrant markets once bustled with traders, food warehouses now stand bombed-out, looted, and empty. In Al Jazirah, Sudan’s former breadbasket, the armed groups burned their fields and stole their harvests at gunpoint.

The war has shattered every system that might have mitigated this crisis. Inflation has soared beyond 350%, rendering a family’s life savings worthless against the price of a single meal. Banks are non-functional in many areas in the country.  Hospitals have run out of medicines and supplies.

The children we are losing

One of the most devastating realities we are observing now, hunger is quietly taking its toll, and time is running out. The conflict continues and children are the most vulnerable and victims.  16 million children across Sudan are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, among them, 3.9 million is suffering from acute malnutrition, and they are struggling for survival. If there is no urgent action, countless children in Sudan will remain at serious risk before the year’s end.

The silence of the international community

What shocks me most is not the scale of suffering, but the world’s muted response.

While other crises dominate headlines, Sudan’s agony unfolds in the shadows. The UN’s $4.2 billion humanitarian appeal for Sudan remains less than 20% funded. While the need is very high and people are suffering from hunger, the international community is silent on raising funds for Sudan.

The truth is uncomfortable but clear: Sudan’s suffering is being measured against other crises and found wanting. Twenty-four aid workers have been killed here since the war began, more than in any other active conflict this year. Yet there are no emergency summits, no urgent UN resolutions. Just silence.

What must be done

First, we need humanitarian access.  The UN Security Council must move beyond statements and enforce the unimpeded delivery of aid. Starvation cannot be permitted as a weapon of war.

Second, the funding gap must be closed, not next year, not next month, but now. The math is stark: $1.5 billion could feed six million Sudanese for six months. To put that in perspective, it’s less than the global cosmetics industry earns in 36 hours.

Finally, we must plan for the day after. Even if peace came tomorrow, Sudan’s farms are ruined, its economy shattered. Recovery will require seeds, tools, and years of sustained investment. But first, we must ensure there are people left to recover.

A final question

On World Hunger Day, we are reminded that hunger in Sudan is not due to a natural disaster; it is due to the current conflict. The question is not whether we can stop Sudan’s starvation, but whether we will choose to.

The world knows what is happening here. The only thing left to determine is whether it cares.

Islamic Relief has been working in Sudan since 1984, providing emergency relief, healthcare, food and shelter to vulnerable communities. Despite the dangers, our teams remain committed to serving those in need.

Please support our life-saving work by donating to our International Emergency today.

 

When Sarah* fled her home in Omdurman amid the violent eruption of conflict, survival was the only goal. With just a handful of belongings and her frightened family in tow, she embarked on a harrowing escape.

“We crossed the Khartoum-Omdurman bridge on foot,” Sarah recounts. “The elderly were carried on wheelbarrows. Corpses lay swollen on the streets; the smell was unbearable. My children saw horrors that stole their innocence.”

Their initial refuge in Madani was shattered by bombs, forcing Sarah’s family to flee again, this time on donkey carts, until they found themselves in Gedaref in eastern Sudan, a place that offered no promises, only further hardship.

Daily despair

The displaced in Al-Gedaref now live a desperate reality. Housing is scarce, forcing families onto streets or overcrowded shelters.

“We have nothing but the clothes we arrived in,” Sarah shares. “Finding food and water is a daily struggle. Illness is widespread; hunger is devastating. Words can’t fully describe our suffering.”

Her eyes convey a silent plea, speaking volumes beyond her words.

A father’s anguish: “my daughter nearly died from hunger”

Anowar knows hunger intimately. His family survives on two meagre meals each day, often little more than flour porridge. The toll of malnutrition nearly claimed his daughter’s life.

“My daughter’s body swelled from hunger,” Anowar painfully recalls. “Seeing her suffer was unbearable. Thank God she’s better now, but every meal feels like a miracle we can’t always afford. Bread, lentils – simple foods feel like treasures.”

His voice is heavy with the weight of providing for a family on the edge of survival.

Anowar’s ordeal mirrors that of countless displaced families.

“In Omdurman, some days we had no food at all. My children fell sick from malnutrition when we reached here,” he reveals. “Even with help from the clinic, our struggle isn’t over. Food scarcity still haunts us. Some days, we simply do not eat.”

Anowar’s testimony is a stark reminder of the severity of Sudan’s hunger crisis. Elderly residents have died not only from starvation but from the heartbreak of losing homes they hoped to pass down through generations.

Islamic Relief support

Amid the overwhelming despair, Sarah and others have found hope through Islamic Relief’s humanitarian aid. Supplies brought relief, however temporary, to their prolonged suffering.

“Islamic Relief arrived, and we felt hope again,” Sarah shares. “I haven’t even opened the aid bag yet, but its arrival alone reassured us that we aren’t forgotten.”

For Sarah, and Anowar, aid isn’t just food – it’s recognition, compassion, and a lifeline to survival.

Picture: For Sarah* and other displaced families in Gedaref, these supplies bring relief after months of hunger and fear.

“If you have means, please help,” Sarah implores. “Even the simplest acts of kindness can save lives. We’ve survived our darkest days but cannot do this alone.”

Her plea echoes across borders, carrying a universal message: solidarity can ease suffering, compassion can heal wounds, and togetherness can save lives.

Sudan’s hunger crisis is not just a statistic, it’s a devastating human tragedy that demands immediate global action.

Islamic Relief remains committed to aiding Sudan’s displaced families. On World Hunger Day, your support can turn despair into hope. Stand with us and help save lives today.