US, EU and 30 Nations Warn of Imminent Famine in Sudan and Call for Unhindered Humanitarian Access

Dozens of nations, including the United States, Australia, Britain, France, Germany and the European Commission for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, issued a joint warning on 27 October 2026 that Sudan is on the brink of famine. According to a US State Department release, the UN-supported Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that famine is highly likely to occur in the near future. It called on all sides of Sudan’s conflict to lift any impediments to humanitarian assistance, including opening cross‑line and cross‑border routes and allowing air access to Darfur.

The warning follows the IPC’s June 2026 assessment that 5.1 million Sudanese were already experiencing severe hunger. The war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced more than 14 million people, disrupted agricultural production and triggered a drought‑related crop failure. The United States described the deteriorating food security as “alarming” and urged the international community to scale up funding and adapt financial programmes to the crisis.

Background

The conflict began in April 2023 when the SAF and the RSF clashed over the integration of their forces into a planned transition to civilian rule. Since then, fighting has spread across the country, with particular intensity in the Darfur region. The war has been accompanied by accusations of genocide and war crimes. A July 2025 UN investigation found that RSF troops executed mass murders, sexual assaults, and enforced starvation within a besieged urban area, characterizing these acts as a deliberate strategy constituting genocide. Washington has also charged the RSF with committing genocide and the SAF with war crimes, although both factions reject these claims.

Humanitarian conditions have worsened as farmers have been unable to harvest crops due to ongoing hostilities and a concurrent drought. The IPC’s classification system, which tracks food insecurity levels, moved Sudan into the severe hunger category for over five million people in June 2026. The co-authored document emphasized that the belligerents hold the main duty to reduce the hardships faced by the Sudanese people.

Why it matters

The potential famine threatens the lives of millions already displaced by the conflict. With more than 14 million people forced from their homes, access to food, water and medical care is already limited. International donors and financial institutions have been urged to increase funding and adjust programmes to address the food‑security emergency. Humanitarian organisations rely on the ability to move aid across front lines and borders; restrictions on cross‑line movements and air access to Darfur have hampered delivery of essential supplies.

The statement also called for the protection of humanitarian personnel and an end to attacks on civilian infrastructure. Continued obstruction could exacerbate mortality rates, increase the risk of disease outbreaks and further destabilise the region, potentially prompting a larger refugee flow into neighbouring countries.

What happens next

The joint declaration does not specify a concrete timeline for action but urges immediate removal of all barriers to aid delivery. It requests that parties to the conflict authorise humanitarian operations through all available routes and sustain the presence and protection of aid workers throughout Sudan. The United States and its partners have indicated that they will continue to press for increased funding and will monitor the situation closely, with the State Department noting that neither the SAF nor the RSF represent legitimate constitutional governance for Sudan.

The international community’s response will likely be measured against the IPC’s forthcoming assessments, which will track whether the famine risk escalates or recedes based on the effectiveness of humanitarian access and funding.