Sudan faces escalating hunger crisis due to war and Hormuz disruption – WFP

What Happened

The World Food Programme warned that Sudan faces a deepening hunger crisis due to its ongoing civil war, aid funding cuts, and rising agricultural costs linked to the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iran war. WFP acting executive director Carl Skau said over 100,000 people are in IPC 5 starvation, and nearly 19.5 million face high acute food insecurity. Fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan raised fears of siege conditions, though violence recently eased, allowing plans to expand aid to 250,000. Meanwhile, renewed clashes in Darfur forced the closure of the Tine border crossing from Chad, threatening to reverse gains. The WFP has reduced assistance from 5 million to 3.5 million people and cut rations due to a $646 million funding shortfall after donor cuts from the US, European nations, and Britain. Skau also highlighted that soaring diesel prices and fertilizer shortages from the Gulf conflict and Hormuz closure could severely impact Sudan’s planting season.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Sudan’s hunger crisis, already the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, is being compounded by the Iran conflict’s impact on global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, illustrating how the standoff in the Gulf multiplies risks to fragile states reliant on fuel and fertilizer imports. The worsening conditions could drive further displacement and instability in the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions.

Watch For

Key developments include the reopening of the Tine border crossing, the progress of the planting season in Sudan amid fertilizer and fuel shortages, any further donor funding announcements to address the WFP’s $646 million gap, and the evolution of military situations around el-Obeid and Darfur. Additionally, monitor Strait of Hormuz tensions that may affect global fertilizer and fuel markets.