Imagine fertile fields transformed into battlegrounds. Farms and businesses lie abandoned, their owners forced to flee for their lives. This is the grim reality in Sudan, where a year-long war has unleashed a devastating chain reaction. Millions are displaced, cash is scarce, and communication is fractured, crippling basic commerce.
Food prices have skyrocketed – 73% higher than last year and a shocking 350% above the average! A collapsing currency only worsens the pain. The ripple effects are felt across borders, choking trade and straining resources in neighbouring South Sudan and Chad as displaced populations surge.
“People are starving,” says Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Programme. “This war has destroyed farms, businesses, and entire economies. Millions in Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad are on the brink of famine. The fighting has to stop now, or we’ll be facing the worst hunger crisis the world has ever seen.”
Sudan braces for a brutal lean season, starting earlier and lasting longer due to the war’s impact on the recent harvest. Crop yields are down a staggering 46% compared to last year, and even those who can still farm struggle with skyrocketing fertiliser and fuel costs. The country simply can’t afford to import enough food to cover the shortfall. Staple grains have already doubled in price, and with another poor harvest, things are only going to get worse. Millions already battling hunger, disease, and malnutrition face a future even bleaker.
South Sudan’s economy is in freefall. Families grapple with hyperinflation and a collapsing currency, partly fueled by the destruction of the country’s oil pipeline that runs through Sudan. Oil is their lifeblood, and cross-border trade, a lifeline for this landlocked nation, has dried up since the war began.
The situation there is desperate. Millions are already acutely hungry, and new modelling predicts another million could be pushed into severe food insecurity due to the economic turmoil. Food prices have doubled in some areas, leaving families struggling to afford basic necessities.
Chad isn’t faring much better. Food prices in the east have nearly doubled, and border closures strangle trade, leaving markets with limited supplies. With the lean season approaching, nearly half of all refugees and returnees face the threat of acute hunger.
The war shows no signs of letting up, and its devastating reach extends far beyond Sudan’s borders. We’re on the precipice of a hunger crisis unlike any the world has seen before. Millions are already food insecure, and without significant help, the situation could become catastrophic.
The death toll surpasses 15,000, likely a significant underestimate. Millions are displaced – the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. Humanitarian efforts are further hampered by attacks on aid supplies, putting even more lives at risk.
