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	Iran conflict undermines world economy and deepens harm for vulnerable people by WFP, UNOPS, FAO, UNCTAD, agencies   June 2026 (UN News)   What began as a geopolitical crisis in the Middle East is increasingly becoming a food security crisis elsewhere, with UN agencies warning of rising hunger in Africa and malnourished children being turned away from medical clinics in Afghanistan.   Despite a fragile ceasefires between the United States and Iran, sporadic hostilities and continued uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world's most important energy and shipping corridors – continue to reverberate through global supply chains, pushing up transport and fuel costs and straining aid operations already grappling with severe funding shortfalls.   Speaking at UN Headquarters World Food Programme (WFP) Acting Executive Director Carl Skau said warnings issued earlier in the crisis about the knock-on effects of higher energy prices were now materialising in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.   “Just to illustrate that what we warned against is now playing out in real time in many of these contexts,” he told reporters.   Several weeks ago, WFP warned that if oil prices remained high, as many as 45 million additional people could be pushed into hunger because of the close relationship between energy and food prices.   That pressure is already mounting: an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia have become acutely food insecure, while a further 2.3 million people have been pushed into acute hunger in Afghanistan and another 1.3 million in Sri Lanka.   The drivers differ from country to country, Mr. Skau said, but include rising food prices, underfunded humanitarian responses and sharply higher operating costs that reduce the number of people aid agencies can reach with available resources. The longer-term outlook is equally troubling.   Mr. Skau warned that higher fertilizer costs may well reduce agricultural productivity in east Africa during the coming planting season, echoing disruptions seen after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and raising the prospect of additional food shortages months from now.   The effects are increasingly visible in humanitarian supply chains.   The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that maritime diversions around the Cape of Good Hope are adding between two and four weeks to shipping times, while air freight capacity across Middle Eastern routes has tightened and congestion is spreading through ports in Africa and elsewhere.   “Increased transport costs mean less money for the lifesaving supplies children need,” said Jean-Cédric Meeus, UNICEF’s Chief of Global Transport and Logistics.   “What begins as a disruption to shipping lanes can spiral into a humanitarian crisis.”   According to UNICEF, air freight costs for vaccines shipped from India to Ethiopia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have risen by up to 70 per cent. Trucking costs for lifesaving therapeutic food destined for Somalia, South Sudan and the DRC have also increased by a third. Sea freight costs for education materials bound for Yemen and Mozambique have surged by as much as 150 per cent.   UNICEF estimates that supply disruptions could delay critical humanitarian cargo by four to six months.   “For a child in a crisis zone, delays in arrival of vaccines or nutrition interventions can mean the difference between life and death,” Mr. Meeus warned.   Few places illustrate the cascading consequences more starkly than Afghanistan. Fresh from a visit to the country, Mr. Skau described witnessing hundreds of mothers carrying visibly malnourished children away from a rural health clinic near Jalalabad because nutrition supplies had run out.   The shortages stem from a combination of funding cuts and supply-chain disruptions that have complicated deliveries previously routed through neighbouring countries.   “I've never seen anything like it,” Mr. Skau said. “The desperation in that clinic is hard to describe.”   Afghanistan is simultaneously coping with economic pressures linked to the regional crisis and the return of some 2.8 million people deported or repatriated from neighbouring countries over the past year.   The humanitarian consequences are part of a broader economic shock. Before the escalation began on 28 February, roughly a fifth of global oil shipments passed through the Strait of Hormuz.   Since then, disruptions have driven up crude oil prices and increased costs across transport networks and supply chains. Hundreds of vessels and tens of thousands of seafarers remain stranded.   A new analysis by the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD, warns that the burden is falling disproportionately on poorer countries.   Of 75 vulnerable economies studied, 65 are net oil importers. Together they are home to nearly one billion people, more than 30 per cent of whom live on less than $3 a day.   UNCTAD estimates that a sustained 50 per cent increase in refined oil prices would add more than $20 billion annually to their collective import bill.   For some countries, including Mauritania, Gambia, Vanuatu, Maldives and Burkina Faso, the additional costs could exceed five per cent of national economic output.   The developments echo concerns previously raised by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in April, when he warned that even under the most optimistic scenario, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz would depress economic growth, increase inflation and disrupt global trade.   He cautioned that a prolonged crisis could push millions more people into poverty and hunger while reversing hard-won development gains.   The many consequences outlined by Mr. Guterres are emerging: higher food and transport costs, disrupted supply chains, mounting pressure on vulnerable economies and growing humanitarian needs.   As Mr. Skau put it, the consequences that agencies warned about are now “playing out in real time.”   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-warning-becomes-reality-millions-middle-east-crisis-pushes-poorest-families-further-hunger http://www.wfp.org/stories/how-mideast-crisis-deepening-hunger-far-beyond-front-lines http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/joint-news-release-wfpfaounicef-risk-famine-persists-nearly-195-million-people-face-acute-food-insecurity-sudan http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/joint-press-release-un-agencies-warn-worsening-hunger-and-malnutrition-crisis-somalia-famine-risk-emerges http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/wfpfao-millions-trapped-deepening-hunger-crisis-drc-needs-far-outpace-humanitarian-response http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-2026-lean-season-unprecedented-food-and-nutrition-crisis-advocacy-note   http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/wfp-scales-back-food-assistance-syria-amid-funding-shortfalls http://www.wfp.org/news/hunger-intensifies-south-sudan-78-million-people-face-high-acute-food-insecurity-and-22 http://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghan-women-and-children-pay-price-crises-converge-and-funding-shrinks http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-152/en/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis http://unctad.org/publication/strait-hormuz-disruptions-beyond-reopening-lasting-impacts-vulnerable-economies http://www.undp.org/press-releases/middle-east-conflict-fallout-pushes-countries-toward-us1-trillion-fossil-fuel-subsidy-bill-warns-un-development-programme http://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/strait-of-hormuz-conflict-threatens-global-food-prices-as-fao-warns-time-is-running-out/en   21 Apr. 2026   Strait of Hormuz: With hunger looming, life-saving fertilizer shipments cannot wait.   ‘Immediate’ solution needed to restore fertilizer supply, says head of UN Taskforce established to facilitate the safe passage of fertilizers and related raw materials for humanitarian purposes.   Unless a solution can be found immediately to allow fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz in time for planting season, there’s going to be a “very significant and severe” food crisis which will hit the poorest countries and their citizens hardest.   That’s according to Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which provides infrastructure, procurement and project management services around the world.   He told UN News: “The planting season has already started...So if we don't get some solution immediately the crisis will be very significant and severe, particularly for the poorest countries and for the poorest citizens."   "We have one-third of all fertilizers in the world going through the Strait of Hormuz, so you can see how important the Persian Gulf is for the production of fertilizers and how impacted is the entire supply chain of fertilizers with the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz.   "We also know that there are some countries that are more dependent on those fertilizers. Unfortunately, some of those countries were already highly vulnerable due to previous shocks, such as Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka. These are just a few countries that are high importers of fertilizers coming from the region.   UN News: We’re talking about a time-sensitive period because it is the agricultural season in some parts of the world, and not having fertilizers will have a huge effect on food security.   Jorge Moreira da Silva: The FAO and the World Food Programme have been very clear explaining the relevance of fertilizers for agriculture, yields and productivity. Fertilizers bring some components, some ingredients that allow the plants to grow faster and to have better productivity. This is particularly important in countries whose conditions are already fragile due to climate change. And we know also that if you don't get productivity on agriculture, you will have food insecurity, hunger and starvation.   The World Food Programme presented numbers that are very clear. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz can push at least 45 million more people into hunger and starvation. So clearly, we need to do something immediately..   Apr. 2026   The Heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG) and the World Food Programme (WFP) met to discuss the global economic and food security impacts of the war in the Middle East. They issued the following statement:   "The Middle East war is upending lives and livelihoods in the region and beyond. It has already triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets in modern history. Sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices, together with transport bottlenecks, will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity.   The burden will fall most heavily on the world’s most vulnerable populations, particularly in low‑income, import‑dependent economies. Spikes in fuel prices and sharp increases in food prices are especially concerning where fiscal space is constrained and debt burdens are already high, reducing governments’ ability to protect vulnerable households".   “The impact of the war is substantial, global, disproportionately affecting energy importers, in particular low-income countries,” a joint statement by leaders of the IEA, IMF and World Bank said. “The shock has led to higher oil, gas and fertilizer prices, triggering concerns about food security and job losses as well.”   During the conflict between Iran and the U.S. and Israel, more than 80 hydrocarbon facilities, including oil fields, gas fields, refineries and terminals, have sustained damage in the Middle East, with more than one-third severely damaged, the IEA said, adding that repairs could take up to two years.   The IMF said that even if the war ends quickly, lasting damage to the world’s economy will still happen, with higher inflation, weaker economic growth, and job losses.   * Higher prices and constraints on diesel fuel availability, which is critical for the production and movement of agricultural goods, will impact food production in the coming months, leading to higher food prices.   * The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol warns the energy crunch prompted by the US-Israel war on Iran exceeds the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks and gas shortages stemming from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine put together.   Birol said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities had reduced global oil supplies by about 11 million barrels per day, more than double the combined shortfalls of the 1970s’ crises. He said liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies had been reduced by about 140 billion cubic metres, compared with a shortfall of 75bcm in the aftermath of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia.   “The global economy is facing a major threat today, and I very much hope that this issue will be resolved as soon as possible,” Birol said. At least 40 energy facilities across nine countries have been severely damaged in the conflict, he said.   The Paris-based intergovernmental organisation, earlier this month announced plans to coordinate the release of 400 million barrels of oil from emergency stockpiles. The IEA chief said he was in consultation with different countries about releasing more strategic oil reserves if needed, but the “single most important solution” to the crisis was to open the strait, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.   Oil prices have surged more than 50 percent since the start of the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, followed by Iran’s blockade of the critical energy waterway, impacting people worldwide.   http://unctad.org/news/hormuz-shipping-disruptions-raise-risks-energy-fertilizers-and-vulnerable-economies http://unctad.org/publication/strait-hormuz-disruptions-growth-and-financial-implications http://www.ifpri.org/landing/conflict-shocks-food-systems-blog http://reliefweb.int/report/world/fao-chief-economist-warns-severe-global-food-security-risks-disruption-strait-hormuz-trade-corridor http://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/strait-of-hormuz-crisis--fertilizer-scarcity-will-affect-next-harvests-and-food-supplies--fao-warns/en http://www.fao.org/in-focus/middle-east-conflict-2026/en http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2026/05/118724/global-energy-and-trade-disruption-pushing-millions-towards-poverty http://www.fao.org/giews/country-analysis/external-assistance/en/ http://www.wfp.org/news/global-disruptions-supply-chains-are-driving-tomorrows-hunger-crisis   * Oil prices and food prices move in concert with energy prices affecting every stage of the food supply chain from the fertilisers used in the fields to the trucks that carry food from the fields to supermarket shelves. Rising oil prices directly affect shipping and the cost of transportation.   In lower-income countries, where populations spend a far greater share of their income on food and import large quantities of grain and fertiliser, rising oil prices will translate into higher food prices and potential food shortages. For much of the world, higher energy prices will raise the cost of living, lead to higher inflation and interest rates curtailing economic growth and increasing unemployment.
	Sudan Conflict: 19 million people face acute food insecurity by World Food Programme, UNICEF, OCHA, agencies   May 2026   Three years of war: Sudan's people abandoned and hungry. (World Food Programme)   On the eve of three years of devastating war, the Sudanese people are still being left to cope with intense fighting and widespread suffering. Conflict is killing and injuring countless civilians, and leaving millions without access to food, shelter or sanitation, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.   The international community has failed to prevent and end this conflict and to protect the Sudanese people from atrocities,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Deputy Executive Director, who just returned from Darfur.   “The people I met in camps have been through hell. They have fled their homes leaving everything behind and now live in appalling conditions. They deserve so much better. We need to make sure they are not let down again and provide the basic support they need.”   More than 19 million people still face acute hunger in Sudan, and famine continues to haunt parts of the country as violence, displacement and economic collapse grind on. Communities have been cut off from food, markets, and aid, and children have been forced to miss three years of education, with their future hanging in the balance. Sudan remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with almost two‑thirds of the population now in urgent need of assistance to survive.   Sudan’s hunger crisis now risks being compounded by the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Disruptions in the Red Sea are delaying critical imports, driving up the cost of food, fuel and fertilizer. Fuel prices in Sudan have increased by over 24 percent, driving up food prices and leaving millions unable to afford the most basic staples.   These same disruptions are also directly impacting humanitarian operations, with delayed shipments and higher transport costs. The combined impact could push families across the country deeper into food insecurity.   “The women I spoke to across Sudan told me they don’t have enough to feed their children and have no access to the most basic services,” warned Skau. “WFP and the humanitarian community have the experience and capacity to step up our support. But to do so, we need humanitarian aid to be allowed to move freely, safely and at scale – and we need far more funding.”   WFP is hyper‑prioritizing famine zones and hard‑to‑reach areas, reaching 3.5 million people each month with emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance. Two‑thirds of those WFP assists are in Darfur and Kordofan, where famine is confirmed and where fighting is heaviest. More than two million children under five and more than 500,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls benefited from nutrition assistance last year.   WFP is also sustaining livelihoods and local food systems: During the last harvest season, WFP-supported farmers produced nearly one fifth of the country’s wheat, strengthening the local economy and reducing food insecurity.   “We need to continue investing in the future of the Sudanese people,” said Skau. “We can help communities rebuild their lives by expanding our support for farmers to grow their own food again and by providing school meals to help enable children to return to school. But we need the funding to do it.”   WFP food assistance has dropped by 14 percent since January, as compared to last year, due to a lack of resources; the agency urgently requires more than USD 600 million to sustain life-saving operations in Sudan for the next six months.   http://www.wfp.org/news/three-years-war-sudans-people-abandoned-and-hungry http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-palais-briefing-sudan-three-years-war-sudan-three-years-too-many http://www.unicef.org/child-alert/children-under-threat-darfur http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/twenty-years-after-global-outcry-children-darfur-face-deeper-crisis-and-far-less http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-three-years-sudan-remains-test-world-failing http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/three-years-war-weary-sudanese-remain-move http://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-three-years-crisis-world-cannot-ignore http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167301 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/05/statement-un-experts-deploring-widespread-attacks-healthcare-sudan-10-years http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/04/un-human-rights-expert-sudan-renews-calls-dialogue-accountability-conflicts http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/04/high-commissioner-turk-calls-urgent-joint-action-sudan http://www.unognewsroom.org/story/en/3086/un-geneva-press-briefing-14-april-2026   http://www.nrc.no/news/2026/what-it-takes-to-eat-new-report-reveals-how-war-is-cutting-off-access-to-food-as-hunger-deepens-in-sudan http://care.ca/2026/04/13/new-report-reveals-how-war-is-cutting-off-access-to-food-in-sudan-as-hunger-deepens/ http://www.who.int/news/item/14-04-2026-after-three-years-of-conflict--sudan-faces-a-deeper-health-crisis http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/three-years-war-have-shattered-sudans-lifelines http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/three-years-agony-sudans-children-trapped-and-carry-deepest-scars http://unocha.exposure.co/darfurs-survivors http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-president-patterns-warfare-disregard-human-life-and-dignity-cannot-continue-sudan http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-human-cost-three-years-war http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/crisis-motion-ifrc-sounds-alarm-sudans-humanitarian-needs-escalate http://www.nrc.no/news/2026/sudan-war-refugees-pushed-into-hunger-as-livelihoods-collapse-across-the-region http://en.emergency.it/blog/from-the-field/updates-from-sudan/   http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/04/07/sudan-the-eu-must-act-for-sudans-civilians-at-three-years-of-conflict http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/ngo-statement-on-the-international-coalition-to-prevent-further-atrocities-in-sudan/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-alert-no-471/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/04/three-years-on-sudans-warring-parties-intensify-war-against-civilians/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/11/new-sudan-atrocity-prevention-coalition-needs-to-act-fast http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-high-income-countries-must-use-berlin-meeting-save-lives-conflict-hits-three-year-mark http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/2026/04/14/sudanese-communities-are-rebuilding-under-fire-will-berlin-back-them http://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/04/africa-aware-emergency-response-rooms-sudans-humanitarian-lifeline http://www.crisisgroup.org/anb/africa/sudan-egypt-saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-united-states/latest-sudan-conference-shows-diplomacy-backsliding http://humanitarianaction.info/plan/1514 http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan   Ferb. 2026   Atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region are spreading from town to town in an organized campaign of violence that includes mass executions, rape and ethnic targeting, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court told the UN Security Council on Monday.   Briefing ambassadors, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said the situation in Darfur had “darkened even further,” with civilians subjected to what she described as collective torture amid a widening war between Sudan’s rival military forces.   “The picture that is emerging is appalling: organised, widespread, mass criminality including mass executions,” Ms. Khan said. “Atrocities are used as a tool to assert control.”   Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between former allies the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF).   What began as a power struggle metastasised into conflicts across the country, most devastating in the Darfur region, which also saw longstanding ethnic tensions – which prompted allegations of genocide in the early 2000s – being reignited.   She said the fall of North Darfur’s regional capital El Fasher to the RSF had been followed by a “calculated campaign of the most profound suffering,” particularly targeting non-Arab communities.   The crimes, she said, include rape, arbitrary detention, executions and the creation of mass graves, often filmed and celebrated by perpetrators.   Based on video, audio and satellite evidence collected, the ICC Prosecutor has concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in El Fasher, particularly in late October, following a prolonged RSF siege of the city.   Ms. Khan said video footage showed patterns similar to those documented in earlier atrocities in Darfur, including the detention, mistreatment and killing of civilians from non-Arab tribes.   “Members of the RSF are seen celebrating direct executions and subsequently desecrating corpses,” she said.   The Office of the Prosecutor is also advancing investigations into crimes committed in El Geneina, where witnesses have provided accounts of attacks on displacement camps, looting, gender-based violence and crimes against children.   In 2023, El Geneina witnessed some of the worst violence of the war as RSF fighters and allied militias carried out massacres against the Massalit community, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee into neighbouring Chad.   UN officials and human rights investigators described the violence as ethnically motivated and warned of possible crimes against humanity.   Evidence now indicates that the patterns of atrocities seen in El Geneina have since been replicated in El Fasher, Ms. Khan said.   “This criminality is being repeated in town after town in Darfur,” she warned. “It will continue until this conflict, and the sense of impunity that fuels it, are stopped.”   Sexual violence, including rape, is being used as a weapon of war, Ms. Khan said, adding that gender-based crimes remain a priority for ICC investigations. She acknowledged cultural and security barriers that prevent survivors from reporting abuse, stressing the need for gender-sensitive and survivor-centred investigations.   While much of the briefing focused on RSF abuses, the Deputy Prosecutor said the ICC was also documenting allegations of crimes committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), underscoring that all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect civilians.   Ms. Khan cited the conviction last October of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb – a former Janjaweed militia leader – as a landmark step toward accountability, but cautioned that the scale of ongoing atrocities far outweighed any sense of progress.   She closed with a pointed call on Sudanese authorities to act against senior suspects long sought by the Court, including former president Omar al-Bashir, former interior minister Ahmad Harun and former defence minister Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein.   “Action must now be taken,” she said, warning that justice for Darfur’s victims would remain hollow without arrests at the highest level.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166790 http://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-office-prosecutor-situation-el-fasher-north-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/sudan-evidence-el-fasher-reveals-genocidal-campaign-targeting-non-arab http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/ffm-sudan/index http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/02/high-commissioner-turk-calls-states-do-more-end-senseless-war-sudan http://sihanet.org/statement-by-ms-hala-alkarbi-siha-network-regional-director-un-security-council-briefing-on-sudan/ http://www.msf.org/msf-report-finds-no-safe-places-women-and-girls-darfur http://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/in-focus/sudan http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1167003 http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-urges-security-council-protect-civilians-and-aid-workers-sudan   Jan. 2026   1,000 days of war has devastating impact on the children of Sudan. (UNICEF)   “Since fighting erupted in April 2023, Sudan has become one of the largest and most devastating humanitarian crises in the world, pushing millions of children to the brink of survival.   A profound protection crisis with widespread violations of international law by parties to the conflict, exacerbated by a lack of humanitarian access, has deepened with each of the 1,000 days of agony that have passed.   "In 2026, 33.7 million people, about two-thirds of the population, are expected to need urgent humanitarian assistance. Half of them are children. Affected populations’ access to lifesaving aid remains dangerously constrained across large parts of the country, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.   “Children continue to be killed and injured – just this week, 8 children were killed in an attack in Al Obeid in North Kordofan.   “More than 5 million children have been forced from their homes – the equivalent of 5,000 children displaced every day - many of them repeatedly, with attacks and violence often following them as they move. Millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war, with children as young as one reported among survivors.   "An estimated 21 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity in 2026. Famine has already been confirmed in Al Fasher and Kadugli, with an additional 20 areas across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan at risk.   In North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan’s malnutrition emergency, nearly 85,000 children with severe acute malnutrition were treated between January and November 2025, equivalent to one child every six minutes.   The collapse of health systems, critical water shortages and the breakdown of basic services are compounding the crisis, fuelling deadly disease outbreaks and placing an estimated 3.4 million children under five at risk.   “Behind these numbers are lives marked by fear, hunger and loss, as the conflict continues to rob children of safety, health and hope.   “Despite these extraordinary insecurity and access constraints, life-saving assistance continues to reach children wherever possible.   UNICEF and partners are delivering support to treat severe malnutrition, vaccinate against deadly diseases, provide safe drinking water, and offer protection and care to children affected by violence and displacement as funding permits.   “These efforts are keeping children alive under the most difficult conditions, but they remain far from sufficient in the absence of sustained access, adequate funding and a meaningful reduction in hostilities. Humanitarian action can save lives, but it cannot replace the protection that only peace can provide.   “UNICEF is urgently calling for an immediate end to the conflict. All parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law: protect civilians, stop attacks on infrastructure, and allow safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan.   “Children in Sudan are not statistics. They are frightened, displaced and hungry, but they are also determined, resourceful and resilient. Every day, they strive to learn, to play, to hope, even as they wait for the world to act. Ending this conflict is a moral necessity. It cannot wait.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-sudan-have-endured-1000-days-agony http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/nutrition-survey-finds-unprecedented-level-child-malnutrition-part-sudans-north http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-warns-deepening-protection-crisis-sudan-violence-and http://www.wfp.org/news/families-sudan-pushed-brink-amidst-brutal-conflict-and-famine-wfp-resources-dry   Sudan: Two-thirds of people need aid as conflict reaches 1,000th day. (OCHA)   Today marks 1,000 days since the start of the war in Sudan, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of a conflict they did not choose. Nearly 34 million people – or some two-thirds of the population – now need humanitarian assistance, making this the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.   It is also the largest displacement crisis, with 9.3 million people displaced inside the country and more than 4.3 million refugees in neighbouring states.   Food security conditions are catastrophic. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and in Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 other areas at risk. More than 21 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure nationwide. Sieges in Kordofan have cut off Kadugli and Dilling, limiting access to food, markets and farmland.   The health system is close to collapse. Fewer than half of health facilities are fully functional, with even lower coverage in areas of active fighting. Cholera has been reported in all 18 states, with more than 72,000 suspected cases recorded last year.   Nearly 12 million people, mostly women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Households headed by women are three times more likely to be food insecure, and three-quarters report not having enough to eat.   OCHA also reports continued fighting in Darfur, drone attacks and long-range strikes on civilian infrastructure.   Despite the mounting challenges, humanitarian partners reached nearly 19 million people in 2025, with local and women-led organizations often serving as the first or only responders in high-risk areas. However, access remains dangerous and politically constrained, and more than 125 aid workers have been killed since April 2023.   OCHA calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, protection of civilians and aid workers, and renewed funding, especially for local and women-led partners.   http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/sudan-4 http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-sudan-ukraine-occupied-palestinian-territory http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026 http://news.un.org/en/audio/2026/01/1166795 http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/01/visiting-turk-salutes-sudanese-peoples-struggle-peace-calls http://www.wfp.org/news/families-sudan-pushed-brink-amidst-brutal-conflict-and-famine-wfp-resources-dry Visit the related web page
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