World · 2026-10-14 · Afternoon briefing

Sudan crisis: 24.6m face hunger as war and climate shocks converge

Sudan is grappling with one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with 24.6 million people experiencing acute food insecurity. The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced over 12.4 million people and caused a death toll estimated between 40,000 and 250,000. Aid groups report that 4.2 million children and pregnant or breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished.

The situation is severely compounded by climate shocks and a collapsing agricultural sector. Extreme heatwaves have led to power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, while fertilizer supplies have plummeted from 450,000 metric tons to just 50,000 in 2026. A critical shortage of diesel is crippling both farm equipment and the distribution of aid. The international response is also lagging; a $2.9 billion humanitarian plan remains only 41% funded.

Drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian casualties this year. Despite this, the UN Security Council in October extended an arms embargo for the Darfur region only, dropping calls for a nationwide ban. Sudan’s government argued a full embargo would disproportionately harm its official army, while the RSF would continue to source weapons through trafficking and other illicit channels.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Sudan's hunger crisis deepens as aid money runs out, UN warns
• Almost 20 million people in Sudan still face acute hunger, monitors say

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