WHO Says Siege of Al-Fashir Pushes Sudan Toward Famine and Cholera

International agencies say Sudan is facing the world’s gravest hunger emergency as conflict and access restrictions push large parts of the country toward famine. The World Health Organization reported that famine conditions already exist in several areas, with 25 million people—more than half the population—classified as acutely food insecure. Since July 2024 almost 100,000 cholera cases have been logged nationwide, underscoring the collapse of basic services. Humanitarian officials singled out the besieged North Darfur capital of Al-Fashir, where Rapid Support Forces have encircled the last army-held city in the region since May 2024. The World Food Programme said food prices in Al-Fashir are running 460 percent above the national average and soup kitchens have closed, leaving civilians to survive on animal fodder and scraps. UN data indicate nearly 40 percent of children under five there are acutely malnourished. Country-wide, the WHO projects about 770,000 young children will suffer severe acute malnutrition this year. UNICEF warned that many in Khartoum and other war-affected areas are already reduced to “skin and bones,” and described the situation as a looming catastrophe for an entire generation. Aid convoys have repeatedly been blocked or attacked, most recently in June when five humanitarian workers were killed en route to Al-Fashir. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and crippled the health system. UN officials say immediate, unhindered humanitarian access and a cessation of hostilities are critical to avert mass starvation and further disease outbreaks.