UK and 31 partners warn of risk of famine in Sudan
The UK and 31 other partners have issued a joint statement on the risk of famine in Sudan. An estimated 19.5 million people, or 41% of the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity.
Author: Editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
On 23 October 2026 the UK and 31 partners published a joint ministerial statement on the risk of famine in Sudan. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) describes a sharp deterioration in the country's food security.
Scale of the crisis
According to the statement, an estimated 19.5 million people (41% of Sudan's population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. For 5 million of them, the situation has reached the "emergency" level.
The signatories cite a warning from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which points to a risk of famine in the coming months. The authors say urgent action is needed and there is no time to lose.
The number of children with severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected 825,000 if the current trajectory is not quickly reversed. The number of food-insecure areas, initially assessed at 14, is expected to double, according to the statement.
Causes
The signatories say conflict is the key driver of hunger. The situation is made worse by systematic obstruction of aid and the effects of El Niño, which has led to reduced rainfall and greater drought across more than half of Sudan.
Other UK government documents describe the background. According to a Home Office note, about 8.7 million people were displaced inside the country as of June 2026. A further 4.6 million had been displaced abroad since the war began. In mid-October 2026, at the UN Security Council, the UK urged the parties to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access. It also marked the anniversary of the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
What this means for you
The statement does not change any rules for people living in the UK. It is a position of the government and its partners on a humanitarian crisis. People who want to help can support humanitarian organisations running appeals for Sudan. Before donating, it is worth checking that the organisation is registered.
The BBC, whose summary the story is based on, also reports on the role of funding cuts. That point was not confirmed in the documents we used.
Sources
This article was prepared automatically by AI from the listed sources and published without prior editorial review. Spotted a mistake? Use the “Report an error in this article” button.
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- Photo 1: „irrigation, irrigation in south africa, irrigation tool, irrigation, irrigation”, author: ra_na1812, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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