Famine and Lack of Healthcare Threaten Residents of Southern Khartoum

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that famine threatens several areas south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, calling for immediate international action.

The WFP recorded “severe” levels of hunger in the city of Jebel Aulia, located about 40 kilometers south of Khartoum, according to Laurent Bukera, the organization’s Country Director in Sudan. He made the statement via video from Port Sudan during the UN’s regular briefing in Geneva.

Bukera noted that “the needs are enormous” following his return from Khartoum State, where WFP recently opened a new branch in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city on the opposite bank of the Nile.

“We witnessed widespread destruction, limited access to water, healthcare, and electricity, as well as a cholera outbreak,” he said. “In some parts of the city, life is returning to normal, but several neighborhoods remain deserted.” He emphasized that “many areas in the south of the city face a significant risk of famine.”

He urged the international community to “act immediately by increasing funding to halt famine in the most affected regions and invest in rebuilding Sudan.”

The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been waging a war for power since April 2023. The RSF lost control of Khartoum in March.

Bukera stressed that in Jebel Aulia, “the levels of hunger, misery, and despair are immense, clearly indicating the threat of famine.” He warned that as displaced people begin returning to severely affected areas such as Khartoum, pressure on already limited resources will intensify due to increased demand.

This situation, he said, is of “great concern” to the WFP, which considers meeting the population’s basic needs—especially food—“critical and urgent.”