Renowned aid organizations are warning of a famine in Sudan in drastic terms. “We cannot be clearer: Sudan is experiencing a hunger crisis of historic proportions,” the Norwegian Refugee Council announced together with partners. “Children are starving.”

“People die of hunger every day, and yet the focus continues to be on semantic debates and legal definitions,” criticizes the Council, alluding to the fact that a complicated assessment is required to determine whether a famine exists.

Determining famine is complicated

The criteria for a famine include, for example, that four out of 10,000 children die of hunger every day or that more than 30 percent of the population is undernourished. This is difficult to determine, especially in conflict situations such as in Sudan, where the work of aid organizations is hampered and not everyone can be reached.

Technically, the procedure is called the “Integrated Phased Classification of Food Security (IPC)”. It is used by the United Nations and other international development organizations.

Power struggle among generals

Rival generals have been fighting for supremacy in Sudan since April 2023. The bloody fighting has displaced more than ten million people and killed thousands. Food production has been hit hard, many fields have been destroyed, mined, or farmers have been displaced, and livestock have been killed.

According to aid organizations, more than 25 million people – more than half of the population – do not have enough to eat. Many families eat leaves and insects and only have one meal a day, according to the Refugee Council. Even for the people who could be reached, there is not enough money. The organizations’ appeals for donations are barely half covered.