International reports have warned that the mass displacement and raging fighting in Darfur and Kordofan have exhausted the resources of local communities and pushed tens of thousands to the brink of famine, amid the collapse of the health sector and the possibility of running out of food aid by late March in the worst humanitarian crisis the world has witnessed.

Published on: 05/02/2026 - 23:55

On Thursday, United Nations-backed experts warned of the threat of famine spreading to the cities of Karnoy and Um Baru in North Darfur, western Sudan, due to massive waves of displacement, while bloody battles continue in the west and south of the country.

The IPC experts stated that “the famine threshold, which indicates acute malnutrition, has been exceeded in two additional areas in North Darfur, Karnoi and Um Baru,” which are adjacent to the border with Chad.

Regarding the situation in Umm Baru, data show that 18.1% of children between six months and five years suffer from severe acute malnutrition, while the percentage is 7.8% in Karnoy.

This deterioration, according to experts, is linked to the “heavy influx” of civilians into the two regions after the Rapid Support Forces seized El Fasher, southwest of Kornoy and Um Baru, in October.

Read also: Sudan: Why did the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support move to the Kordofan region?

As for the Rapid Support Forces, which have been waging a war with the army since April 2023, they tightened their control over El Fasher at the end of last year, bringing almost all of Darfur under their control, with the exception of limited pockets controlled by neutral local forces.

Regarding the displacement movement from El Fasher, United Nations data indicate that more than 120,000 people have left it since its fall, and many of them have headed to other cities in North Darfur that are already suffering from a lack of resources and overcrowding of displaced people.

“These alarming rates are an indication of an increasing risk of avoidable deaths, and raise fears of the spread of similar catastrophic conditions in neighboring areas,” according to experts.

During the rapid support forces' advance towards El Fasher, several reports documented large-scale killings, rapes, and kidnappings.

Regarding violations, both parties to the conflict in Sudan are accused of committing serious violations.

In terms of international positions, on Thursday, London imposed sanctions on six individuals, including officers from both sides, on charges of committing atrocities or bringing in mercenaries or military equipment.

These measures were taken, according to what British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced, with the aim of "dismantling the war machine" in Sudan.

"Worsening food insecurity and acute malnutrition"

Thursday's warning comes nearly three months after famine was declared in El Fasher and Kadugli in South Kordofan, which were subject to a siege by the Rapid Support Forces and its allies until the army was able this week to break the siege.

As for the city of Kadugli, it has remained under siege for most of the past three years, as well as the city of Dilling, located 130 kilometers to the south, which the Integrated Interim Food Security Classification warned in November that it was facing conditions similar to El Fasher and Kadugli, warning of the possibility of widespread famine. However, the difficulty of reaching the city and verifying data prevents an official declaration of famine from being issued.

The experts revealed in their report on Thursday that the waves of displacement from El Fasher contributed to "depleting the resources and capabilities of local communities and exacerbating food insecurity and acute malnutrition."

The report also stated that Thursday's warning does not mean declaring famine in those areas, "but rather highlights urgent food security and nutrition crises based on the latest available evidence."

In most areas of western Sudan, data verification remains highly complicated due to road and communications cuts.

As for the broader regions, Thursday's report warned that 20 other regions in the Darfur and Kordofan regions face the risk of famine in light of the fragility of the situation, the prevention of aid access, and the collapse of infrastructure.

Nationwide, more than 21 million people, about half the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the United Nations.

As for Kordofan, the fighting intensified in its areas bordering Darfur shortly after the fall of El Fasher, with the expansion of the Rapid Support Forces to the neighboring cities of Kordofan, which are rich in oil and agricultural land, and which constitute a vital corridor between Darfur and Khartoum.

"Countdown to disaster"

For its part, the United Nations has repeatedly warned of the possibility of a repeat of the El Fasher scenario in the cities of Kordofan, which is witnessing a heated conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The violence in Kordofan has put hundreds of thousands of families on the brink of famine, and pushed about 88,000 people into displacement between October and January, according to United Nations figures.

The Norwegian Refugee Council warned earlier this week of a “countdown to disaster” in South Kordofan, describing the state as “the most dangerous front line in Sudan and the most neglected.”

According to the IPC report, acute malnutrition will continue to worsen through 2026, and “protracted displacement, continuing conflict, and the erosion of health care, water and food systems are expected to increase acute malnutrition and food insecurity.”

The report also confirmed that there are indications that the critical global acute malnutrition threshold has been reached in 60% of the areas surveyed during the first half of last year, pointing out that “the health system in Sudan is on the verge of collapse, with more than a third of the facilities no longer working.”

In terms of the humanitarian cost of the war, the conflict that has been ongoing for nearly three years has caused the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of more than 11 million people inside and outside Sudan, many of whom live in crowded villages or shelter centers that lack basic necessities, in what the United Nations describes as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

In light of these conditions, the United Nations warned that its food aid stock may run out by late March, while more than two-thirds of the population needs urgent support.

At the level of the political track, international efforts aimed at reaching a truce in Sudan remained a dead letter. Last month, the Sudanese army received a new proposal from the United States and Saudi Arabia, without yet announcing its final position on it.

France 24/AFP

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