Madar (London) - The UK and 31 international partners have warned of a risk of famine in Sudan in the coming months, saying the situation "needs urgent action" and that "there is no time to lose," according to a joint ministerial statement published by the British government on Friday, October 23, 2026, and carried by Sudanese media on Saturday.
According to the statement, an estimated 19.5 million people, or 41% of Sudan's population, face high levels of acute food insecurity, including 5 million at emergency levels. Without immediate action, the number of children with severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected 825,000, and the number of food insecure areas, initially assessed at 14, is expected to double, citing warnings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The signatories said conflict is the key driver of the hunger crisis, displacing millions and disrupting healthcare, food production, supply chains and markets, while the situation is worsened by "systematic obstruction of aid" and by El Niño, which has reduced rainfall and spread drought across more than half of the country.
Saying the warring parties bear "primary responsibility," the statement urged them to authorise humanitarian operations through all crossline and cross-border routes, including air access into Darfur, to cut visa and customs delays for aid workers and to refrain from strikes on civilian infrastructure, including agriculture and food systems.
It also called on the international community to urgently scale up funding and to support the winter cropping season and locally led responses. Signatories include the foreign or development ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia, Norway and Switzerland, as well as the European Commission and Massad Boulos, US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs.
