The World Food Programme (WFP) issued a dire warning on Friday, revealing that the number of hungry people in Sudan has doubled over the past year. Almost 18 million people across the country are currently grappling with acute hunger, and an estimated five million are experiencing emergency levels of hunger due to ongoing conflict in areas such as Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan.

“The situation in Sudan today is nothing short of catastrophic,” emphasized Eddie Rowe, WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director. Despite having food supplies in Sudan, humanitarian access obstacles and other unnecessary hurdles are hampering operations. Vital aid is not reaching those who need it most, and reports of people dying from starvation are already emerging.

The Sudanese Army and the rival military group known as the Rapid Security Forces (RSF) have been locked in battle since last April. Urgent appeals have been made to both parties to provide immediate security guarantees so that humanitarian aid can reach millions in need. However, crossing frontlines has become nearly impossible due to security threats, enforced roadblocks, and demands for fees and taxation.

WFP has repeatedly warned of a looming hunger catastrophe in Sudan. Since the outbreak of war, the agency has assisted more than 6.5 million people. Yet, life-saving assistance remains out of reach for many. Only one in ten people facing emergency hunger levels in conflict hotspots, including Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, and most recently Gezira, receives regular food aid. The situation is critical, and humanitarian convoys must be allowed to cross frontlines to reach these areas.

WFP is striving to obtain security guarantees to resume operations in Gezira state, a crucial humanitarian hub that previously supported over 800,000 people each month. However, fighting in December forced half a million people to flee, and only 40,000 have received aid so far. Seventy WFP trucks were stuck in the coastal city of Port Sudan for more than two weeks, while another 31 trucks destined for the Kordofans, Kosti, and Wad Madani have been unable to leave El Obeid for over three months. Both parties involved in this conflict must look beyond the battlefield and allow aid organizations to operate effectively.

Approximately 25 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The urgency cannot be overstated. Millions are suffering, and famine looms. It is time to act swiftly and decisively to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the immense suffering in Sudan.

Ten months into Sudan’s civil war between the RSF and the Sudanese army, the country is facing acute hunger, aid groups and famine experts told Al Jazeera. The United Nations estimates that about 18 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger – double the figure from last year. Sudan is running out of time to mitigate a food crisis exacerbated by the conflict, according to a recent policy brief by the Clingendael Institute, a think tank in the Netherlands. The report found that the war has acutely affected food availability and people’s ability to buy it. In West Darfur, the RSF and allied militias conducted an ethnic cleansing campaign – possibly genocide – by driving “non-Arab” communities from their land.

Experts and Sudanese activists say Western states and UN agencies should streamline funding to Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), grassroots committees that are supporting hundreds of soup kitchens across the country. In Khartoum alone, the ERR is divided into seven districts and they split their funding – raised from remittances and donations – to activists running soup kitchens in their respective areas. Despite the vital role that ERRs play in feeding their communities, the global community is failing to support them. De Waal said Western donors are hesitant to directly finance ERRs because they will struggle to trace how each dollar is spent. He added that the global community willingly cooperates with the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), which many experts and aid agencies believe is a front for military intelligence.

BOB Post