CAIRO (AP) — Conflict and drought are worsening food insecurity across parts of Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released on Monday. The report highlights a "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in greater Darfur and Kordofan, including areas identified as at risk of famine. Severe drought linked to El Niño is impacting over half of Sudan, leading to localized crop failures and reduced food and income for households.
In May, nearly 19.5 million people, or more than 40% of the population, were facing high levels of acute food insecurity, as reported by the IPC. Of this number, 135,000 individuals were classified in Phase 5, the most severe category, which indicates extreme food shortages, starvation, high levels of malnutrition, and deaths from disease or acute malnutrition.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 when tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and spread throughout the country. The conflict has resulted in at least 150,000 deaths, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), although aid organizations suggest the actual number may be higher. Approximately 13 million people have been displaced, and parts of the country are experiencing famine conditions.
Farmers' livelihoods have been severely impacted, leading them to rely more on assistance, as noted by the IPC. The organization warns that without a significant increase in aid to Sudan, "food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and excess mortality will likely intensify."
The IPC reported poor growth levels affecting 64% of croplands in North Darfur and about half in South Darfur, West Kordofan, and South Kordofan. Additionally, acute malnutrition rates have worsened in areas such as Nyala, where the percentage of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition doubled from approximately 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur reported global acute malnutrition rates exceeding famine thresholds.
In North Darfur, delayed rains have adversely affected crop cultivation, and food stocks are described as "critically low." Western Kordofan is experiencing one of its worst droughts since 2004, according to the IPC.
Humanitarian organizations emphasize that ending the conflict and ensuring safe, sustained humanitarian access are crucial for improving conditions in Sudan. However, efforts to achieve peace have not yet succeeded.
In a recent incident, an airstrike killed at least 72 civilian miners in a border area between Sudan and Egypt, where artisanal and small-scale gold mining is common, according to the local rights group Emergency Lawyers. The group reported that Egyptian warplanes targeted the miners in Sudan's North Wadi area, although it did not provide evidence for this claim.
The Egyptian Armed Forces stated that they had initiated a "large-scale campaign to confront illegal mining in the Eastern Desert" and had dropped "warning leaflets" on citizens, but did not offer further details.
In June, Egyptian security forces detained hundreds of individuals, including foreigners, on the border with Sudan for alleged illegal gold mining and smuggling activities.
Separately, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry reported the deaths of two Egyptian truck drivers in Khartoum after a gunman opened fire. The shooter has since been apprehended by authorities.