Risk of Famine is growing in many conflict-affected areas of Sudan by IPC Global Initiative, WFP, FEWS Net, agencies Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)   12 Oct. 2026   Conflict, displacement and drought are driving an increased risk of Famine in Sudan, with parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan facing alarming risk. New data indicates rising and alarming levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in several localities.   Severe drought across most of Greater Darfur and the combined impacts of conflict and drought in Greater Kordofan will accelerate depletion of remaining food stocks.   Unimpeded access to conflict areas and adequate funding to scale up humanitarian assistance are urgently needed to avoid catastrophic consequences and further loss of lives.   The risk of Famine is growing in many conflict-affected areas of Sudan, with the impact of El Nino-induced drought compounding already dire conditions.   The situation in most areas that were classified as at risk of Famine in the May 2026 IPC analysis remains extremely concerning, while new evidence indicates worsening acute malnutrition in additional localities.   In Greater Darfur, 13 of the 17 surveys conducted since January 2026 recorded a Critical level of global acute malnutrition (GAM), indicative of IPC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Phase 4. A September SMART survey in Eastern Jebel Marra identified a GAM prevalence above Famine thresholds in two IDP camps; alarmingly, this is occurring alongside severe hunger and high mortality levels.   Between January and August, the percent of children accessing nutrition services that were admitted for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) doubled in Nyala, and the proportion of children dying within 24 hours of admission remained elevated, indicating dramatic conditions on arrival. SAM admissions increased four-fold in Kas between January and June.   Children are going without treatment. As of August, only 26 per cent of those expected to need care for severe acute malnutrition with medical complications had received it. Without treatment, as many as two thirds of them could die.   Acute food insecurity remains severe in North Darfur, where delayed rains had a devastating impact on crop cultivation. Food stocks in North Darfur are critically low, and high food prices reflect increased scarcity.   Critical gaps remain in areas previously identified as risk of Famine. The outlook is increasingly alarming as severe El Nino-induced drought conditions are widespread across more than half of Sudan, resulting in localised crop failures and loss of household food and income. Severe water deficits are observed in all or nearly all croplands in North Darfur, South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan.   Despite local organisations and operational partners' efforts, the response is outpaced by the scale of needs, severe funding shortages and access constraints persisting in conflict-affected areas.   Conflict, displacement, severe drought, and inadequate funding are driving a growing risk of Famine in parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan. An immediate, significant scale-up of assistance is urgently needed. Without this, catastrophic food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and rising mortality will likely intensify, placing countless lives at risk.   The IPC’s Famine Review Committee said there is not enough survey data for a full analysis, but the evidence points to a rapidly worsening situation. “Famine is the collapse of systems,” the committee said. “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe, already of historic proportions.”   Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme:   "Sudan is the world's largest hunger and displacement crisis. 20 million people in acute hunger, 14 million people displaced, some 5 million of those acutely hungry in emergency level, IPC4, and 200,000 in IPC5 levels of starvation. This is the largest hunger crisis that we are facing right now".   http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Alert_Sudan_Oct2026.pdf http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168577 http://fews.net/east-africa/sudan/key-message-update/september-2026 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudans-harvest-risk-millions-face-worsening-hunger-2027 http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-acting-executive-directors-press-conference-following-his-mission-sudan-remarks-delivered Visit the related web page
	Taking action to reduce hunger and prevent food and nutrition crises by Global Network Against Food Crises, agencies   Oct. 2026   While AI, geopolitical tensions and economic upheaval featured prominently at the 81st United Nations General Assembly from 22 September to 26 September, leaders repeatedly returned to another urgent reality - food crises and famine that are at our doorsteps.   Conflict, weather extremes, economic instability, displacement, and disruptions to food systems increasingly overlap and reinforce one another, turning localized shocks into protracted crises. As these challenges become more interconnected, so too must the response because food crises are often too complex for any single actor to solve alone.   The latest evidence, drawn from the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) mid-year update of the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, shows how far the crisis has deepened:   Over the past decade, the number and share of people facing acute food insecurity have doubled. The number of people experiencing catastrophic hunger has increased more than ninefold.   For the first time in the report's history, famine was confirmed in two contexts in the same year: in Sudan and the Gaza Strip. 80 percent of people facing acute food insecurity are concentrated in 33 countries. The majority are protracted crises, recurring in the same places.   Yet as needs rise, humanitarian assistance to food sectors in crisis contexts is estimated to have fallen by 59 percent since 2022.   Against this backdrop, the GNAFC's UN General Assembly event, "United Against Hunger: Realigning Global Action for Food Crises in Times of Disruption," brought together actors from across the humanitarian, development, finance, and food security communities to discuss how collective action can help prevent recurrent crises and build resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. The strong interest in the event reflected growing recognition that today's food crises demand collective solutions met with urgency.   Early warning must lead to early action was the common message. Participants called for preparedness systems that connect analysis to clear responsibilities, timely financing and delivery before shocks become emergencies. They stressed placing affected countries and communities at the center of solutions, aligning international support behind nationally led priorities, and investing in resilience while continuing to meet immediate humanitarian needs.   The same themes resonated across other UN General Assembly discussions. At the high-level event organized by UNICEF and co-sponsored by GNAFC, A Global Call to Protect Children's Lives and Prevent Nutrition Crises”, the overarching message was on the urgency of preventing nutrition crises before children face acute malnutrition and starvation.   At a separate event hosted by the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, Spain and Brazil: “Accelerating Action on Hunger and Poverty”, data from the mid year update of the Global Report on Food Crises was front and center highlighting the increasingly impact of food crises leading to calls for greater investment in anticipatory action, social protection, multi-year financing, and nationally led solutions.   Taken together, these conversations underline the world has the evidence and solutions to reduce hunger and prevent food and nutrition crises. What is needed now is the coordination, financing and political will to act on that evidence.   * Live recording of United Against Hunger: Realigning Global Action for Food Crises in Times of Disruption event: http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1c/k1cv0jhwpq   http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/events/global-call-protect-childrens-lives-and-prevent-nutrition-crises http://unicef.tv/globalcallprotectlivespreventnutritioncrises http://www.savethechildren.net/news/child-nutrition-crises-less-third-funded-shrinking-support-calls-new-approach-tackling http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/over-23-million-additional-children-risk-poverty-middle-east-conflict-drives-global http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/famine-harsh-reality-children-acute-hunger-numbers-double-over-past-decade http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/ http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/hunger-hotspots http://www.wfp.org/global-hunger-crisis http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/en/   Oct. 2026   World Food Day: The 10 Largest Global Food Crises - Action Against Hunger   Acute hunger has doubled over the last ten years and now affects 266 million people across 47 countries and territories, according to a new report from Action Against Hunger, drawing on data from the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), the FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots reports, and the experience of Action Against Hunger teams in more than 50 countries.   The 10 Largest Global Food Crises focuses on people facing acute hunger in Nigeria, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Syria. South Sudan entered the top 10 for the first time, with more than half its population facing severe food insecurity.   Conflict remains one of the biggest drivers of hunger. The sharpest increases were in Myanmar, the DRC, Afghanistan, and Yemen, where fighting and displacement have cut families off from their land, jobs, and markets. In 2025, famine was also confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan.   At the same time, humanitarian aid for food in crisis contexts fell 59% between 2022 and 2025, back to levels last seen in 2016 and 2017. Official development assistance dropped 23% in 2025, and a further decline is expected in 2026.   “When funding is cut, the impact on vulnerable people is immediate. Funding decides where our teams can work, how many children we can treat, and which communities we have to leave behind,” said Dr. Charles Owubah, CEO of Action Against Hunger. We can prevent acute hunger and save countless lives. Now, we need donors to stay the course.”   Children are among the hardest hit. In the 10 countries, nearly 30 million children under five suffered from acute malnutrition in 2025. Unsafe water and disease are making things worse. In Sudan, more than 60% of water treatment plants are out of service, and the DRC is facing its worst cholera epidemic in 25 years.   Action Against Hunger is calling on governments and donors to protect civilians and aid workers, close the funding gap with flexible, multi-year funding, and invest in prevention by strengthening local food systems, climate adaptation, and early warning systems.   * Note: This report is 123 pages and may take some time to download: http://www.aktiongegendenhunger.de/sites/default/files/2026-10/10-largest-global-food-crises-2026-action-against-hunger.pdf Visit the related web page
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