Sudan faces biggest humanitarian crisis, widespread starvation: Report

Sudan is seeing the “fastest” and “biggest” humanitarian crisis ever recorded as war rages on across the country. The International Rescue Committee placed the African nation at number one on its emergency watchlist.

Sudan made global history for the second year as the country’s famine grew to unprecedented levels. The agency has urged the public “not to look away from what’s happening.”

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The New York-based organization released its 2025 report Wednesday, Dec. 11. The report said the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led to innocent lives lost.

War’s impact on Sudan

Since the war began in April 2023, experts estimated 61,000 people died. Ethiopia and Chad sandwich the war-plagued country and, at times, fuel the combat or act as the mediator. Another 11 million people left their homes to escape the conflict. Many turned to displacement camps where humanitarian groups already declared starvation.

As the war enters its second year, the deadly power struggle has left half of Sudan’s population in need of aid, according to the United Nations.

“Never in modern history have so many people faced starvation and famine as in Sudan today,” experts said.

While the war is concentrated around the country’s capital, armed forces began attacking Sudan’s rural areas. Experts said the battle has directly impacted agriculture and food production, inflating the widespread hunger crisis.

“Two-thirds of Sudan’s population live in rural areas and their livelihood is being devastated by the war. We urge local authorities to facilitate safe engagement in agricultural activities,” the experts said.

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Humanitarian crisis in several countries

Instead of creating a lifeline to aid, the report said outside powers have supplied more weapons to their allies and made a resolution out of reach.

According to the IRC, stats showed Sudan is not alone. Dozens of other countries are in an emergency. Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Haiti, Afghanistan and Mali are all topping the list.

Ceasefire efforts remained untouched, with both parties increasing strikes in residential areas.