Over 6 million on brink of famine as hunger in Sudan: UN

The United Nations has warned that millions of people are on the brink of famine in Sudan, as hunger and displacement are spiraling out of control in the African country amid the ongoing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Response Forces (RSF).

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued the warning in a statement on Wednesday, saying that 6.3 million people in Sudan, about 13% of the population, are now one step from famine, in a new escalation of an already dire humanitarian situation.

The UN aid agency went on to say that over 20 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity due to the conflict, economic decline and mass displacement.

Citing data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), OCHA said more than 3 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict in Sudan, adding that over 900,000 people have fled to neighboring countries—namely Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.