Sudan’s Conflict Risks Creating the World’s Largest Hunger Crisis

A ruinous conflict has been raging for about a year between rival generals in Sudan, and it now poses a dire threat: the world’s largest hunger crisis. Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program (WFP), issued this stark warning as global attention remains focused on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The fighting in Sudan, which pits the country’s military against a violent paramilitary group, has shattered the lives of millions across the northeastern African nation. According to the U.N. food agency, approximately 18 million people in Sudan currently face acute hunger, with the most desperate trapped behind the front lines.

Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April when clashes erupted in the capital, Khartoum, between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and a paramilitary force known as the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict swiftly spread across the nation, affecting urban areas and the restive western Darfur region.

Tragically, thousands of people have lost their lives during this conflict, including between 10,000 and 15,000 individuals when paramilitary forces and allied Arab militias rampaged through a Darfur town last year. This echoes the dark legacy of Darfur, which two decades ago became synonymous with genocide and war crimes perpetrated by notorious Janjaweed Arab militias against populations identifying as Central or East African.

The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, recently stated that there are grounds to believe both sides in Sudan’s conflict are committing possible war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Darfur. Despite this alarming situation, the people of Sudan have been largely forgotten.

The conflict has forcibly uprooted more than 10 million people, either to safer areas within Sudan or to neighboring countries. Urgent humanitarian aid and international support are crucial to prevent this crisis from escalating further.