Sudan Disputes UN-Backed Hunger Report Amid Conflict

The Sudanese government has firmly denied a United Nations-backed report that claimed hunger has reached crisis levels in five regions of the country.

The report, which was based on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) evaluation, suggested that 638,000 people are currently experiencing famine-like conditions due to ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Additionally, it estimated that 8.1 million people are at risk of severe hunger.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the IPC’s classification, describing the findings as speculative and lacking procedural transparency. The ministry asserted that the report’s authors did not consult with Sudanese technical teams or obtain up-to-date field data prior to publication.

The government also expressed concerns about the methodology used in the report, which it claimed was not aligned with ground realities.

The IPC has yet to respond to the government’s statement. Meanwhile, international humanitarian organizations, including the United States and the United Nations, continue to express concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, urging for sustained efforts to address food insecurity in the war-torn nation.