On December 23, Sudan's agriculture minister announced the government's withdrawal from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, accusing the organization of issuing unreliable reports undermining Sudan's sovereignty and dignity. This decision was announced just before the IPC released data forecasting famine conditions spreading to five areas of the country, potentially extending to ten by May 2025. The IPC report highlights "an unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis," significantly exacerbated by the continuing conflict and poor humanitarian access.
The IPC is a globally recognized framework used to assess food scarcity and inform humanitarian responses. Countries cooperating with IPC gain valuable insights aiding aid organizations to make informed decisions about directing resources for humanitarian efforts. Countries like Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria have successfully navigated food crises with the aid of IPC's reliable reports. The halting of Sudan's participation has raised concerns within the humanitarian community.
An NGO source emphasized the ramifications, stating, "Withdrawal from the IPC system won’t change the reality of hunger on the ground. But it does deprive the international community of its compass to navigate Sudan’s hunger crisis. Without independent analysis, we’re flying blind..." This sentiment echoes long-standing fears as earlier this year, Sudan faced criticism for obstructing IPC operations, particularly within Zamzam camp, where displaced residents have reportedly resorted to eating tree leaves to survive.
Alex de Waal, executive director at the World Peace Foundation, characterized the government’s withdrawal as “both pathetic and tragic,” cautioning against the consequences of historically downplaying famines for national pride. Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has reached alarming levels, with estimates indicating around 25.6 million individuals require urgent assistance to survive.
Recent projections from the IPC reveal dire food insecurity, with 638,000 people classified under the worst IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) conditions. This statistic starkly contrasts the estimated 24.6 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity between December 2024 and May 2025, marking a drastic increase from previous months.
Mary Lupul, Save the Children’s Sudan Humanitarian Director, voiced her concerns after recent reports sparked alarm, declaring, “This latest report is terrifying and a failure of the global system.” She articulated how children's lives hang precariously as famine’s first victims, facing extreme risks due to malnutrition and related diseases. “Without immediate action now, we will see more young lives lost,” she warned.
The IPC confirmed famine first at Zamzam camp, now home to approximately 500,000 displaced people, noting the dire conditions have since spread to surrounding areas, including Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps, as well as the Western Nuba Mountains. It anticipates famine to expand to five more localities by May, highlighting the increasingly precarious state of food availability even during the harvest season.
Jean-Martin Bauer, the U.N. World Food Programme’s Director of Food Security and Analysis, emphasized the urgency of the situation: “A protracted famine is taking hold in Sudan. People are getting weaker and weaker...little to no access to food for months.” The data underlines not only the impact of violent conflict but also the logistical challenges facing deliveries amid severe humanitarian blockages.
The crisis severity calls for international intervention and increased funding toward humanitarian efforts. UNICEF and WFP are already ramping up responses, ensuring children and families affected by conflict can receive health, nutrition, and food security interventions. Although the commitment remains strong, reports indicate vulnerable populations remain at risk without unhindered access for lifesaving provisions.
Lucia Elmi, UNICEF Director for Emergency Operations, remarked, “The delivery of lifesaving therapeutic food, water, and medicine can help stop the deadly malnutrition crisis...but we need safe, sustained, and unimpeded access to reach the most vulnerable children.” The risk of famine is exacerbated across multiple regions of the country, demanding both local and international efforts to secure humanitarian access during this unprecedented crisis.
Despite delivering food assistance to over 800,000 people since launching recent aid operations, those efforts continue to face severe limitations. Ongoing conflicts across regions including Khartoum and Al Jazeera raise the specter of famine conditions (IPC Phase 5), but the lack of reliable data hampers verification, stressing the urgency for assessment and assistance.
Calls for immediate, large-scale humanitarian action reverberate from multiple agencies as they stress the imperative of addressing Sudan’s deteriorated situation before more lives are irrevocably lost. The alarming rate of food insecurity presents not merely as a national crisis but as one demanding cohesive global response, urging the international community to choose action over inaction.
