UN Warns Sudan Food Aid May Run Dry Soon

UN World Food Programme Seeks $700m in Funding for Sudan Aid Efforts

The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a plea for $700 million in funding to support its operations in war-torn Sudan, where the country’s civil war has entered its 1,000th day. The WFP is facing a sharp decline in funding due to an ideological shift by US President Donald Trump and competing demands from other global conflicts.

The programme’s director of emergency preparedness and response, Ross Smith, stated that the organization will deplete its food stocks in Sudan by March if additional funding is not secured. Without immediate support, millions of people will be left without vital food assistance within weeks.

According to the WFP, nearly half of Sudan’s population – over 21 million people – face acute hunger, with famine confirmed in areas where access for aid workers has been severely limited due to months of fighting. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called on the international community to provide “much-needed humanitarian assistance” to those affected.

Efforts by regional mediators, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to secure a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful. The government and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continue to clash over territory, with both sides accused of war crimes. A meeting in Cairo on Wednesday brought together officials from the Quad countries, the UN, European Union, and regional organisations to revive peace efforts.

The WFP’s funding request would keep its operations in Sudan going through June. The organization has been forced to reduce rations to the minimum for survival due to the decline in funding.

Source: Al Jazeera