Extreme hunger has affected nearly 20 million people in war-torn Sudan, the IPC | Sudan War News

More than 40 percent of the Sudanese population is facing severe hunger, according to a report by the World Hunger Monitor, a three-year civil war that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

About 19.5 million Sudanese are facing such challenges, the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Thursday.

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The Sudanese three years of civil war, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) they killed hundreds of thousands of people and millions of refugees in the country, has also given rise to high levels of hunger and starvation.

The IPC report said that 14 regions of North Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan in the country are still at risk of famine, where 135,000 people are facing the “catastrophe” of hunger.

These areas include the cities of el-Fasher and Kadugli, which were judged to be facing starvation last year mainly due to the siege by the RSF.

But in October, the RSF completed the capture of el-Fasher, essentially evacuating the city, while this year the army broke through around Kadugli.

Because of the hunger crisis, families have been forced into “extremely difficult coping mechanisms,” said Grace Oongee, from the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“We have had reports of families forced to eat vegetables, those forced to eat animal feed, even reports of families breaking into slaughterhouses that have been closed so that the skin of animals can eat and live,” Oonge told Al Jazeera, speaking from the city of Port Sudan.

Lack of access to food and medical facilities will lead to death for many, he warned.

Some of the figures in the IPC report and others, he added, may not reflect the reality of what is happening on the ground because of the ban on entry.

“Ongoing hostilities – particularly around key supply routes, such as El Obeid in North Kordofan – and the possibility of renewed sieges increase the risk,” the IPC said.

Another 825,000 children are expected to become malnourished as insecurity, restrictions, and budget cuts have hampered aid efforts in many parts of the country, an international monitor said.

Last year, the IPC report’s estimate rose slightly, saying 21.2 million people faced severe hunger, compared to the report’s 19.5 million.

‘An invisible crisis’

Drone warfare appears to have replaced ground-based campaigns as the main form of warfare in Sudan.

Fighting is raging in Kordofan region, as well as in Blue Nile state, where drone strikes have killed at least 880 civilians since January, according to the UN human rights office.

Drones have also targeted civilian infrastructure, including markets, hospitals, and power plants.

Sudan’s rainy season, which begins around July and coincides with the low planting season, is also expected to worsen.

Areas of North Darfur fleeing El-Fasher are at risk of starvation, including Tina, Um Baru, and Kernoi, which have seen drone attacks, as well as fighting, as the RSF consolidates control of the area.

The US-Israeli war against Iran also threatens to increase production, raising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices and causing a bumper harvest later this year.

“I think Sudan is becoming an invisible problem, that’s why we have to keep repeating this message and keep sharing the dangers that are happening here – it’s more than numbers,” Oonge said.