Drought on top of war pushes Darfur and Kordofan towards famine, the IPC warns

18 October 2026

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued a new alert on 12 October 2026 on Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan in Sudan. In two camps for displaced people in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, acute malnutrition among children stood at 38 and 30.8 per cent, above the threshold for famine. Across Greater Darfur, 13 of the 17 nutrition surveys carried out since January 2026 found critical levels of acute malnutrition. Drought now covers more than half of Sudan, and in North Darfur 64 per cent of cropland shows poor plant growth, with rains arriving in late September too late to save most cereal crops. Greater Kordofan has seen more than 300,000 people forced from their homes since October 2025, and its markets have been hit by more than 170 airstrikes, looting incidents or armed clashes during the year. As of 8 October 2026 less than half of the humanitarian appeal for Sudan had been funded.