Starving residents facing imminent peril in besieged Sudanese urban area
Crisis Deepens in Al-Fashir as Conflict and Blockade Leave Residents on Brink of Starvation
The city of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, is facing a dire humanitarian crisis due to over two years of conflict and a blockade that has cut off the city from essential aid supplies.
Al-Fashir, the last major city in the Darfur region still controlled by the army, has been under siege since May 2024, with combatants blocking all roads leading to the city. This blockade has left about 300,000 residents at extreme risk of starvation, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine conditions in camps near Al-Fashir last year, and now, the famine is spreading into the city itself. Locals are reported to be eating hay or animal feed, and food prices in Al-Fashir are up to 460% higher than elsewhere in Sudan due to supply shortages and trade route blockades.
Community kitchens and civilian infrastructure like markets and clinics have been severely damaged or destroyed by fighting, leading to food scarcity. Violence, looting, and sexual assault have also escalated, increasing the humanitarian toll.
The WFP has been unable to deliver food assistance by road but continues digital cash support for approximately 250,000 people, enabling limited market purchases within the city. However, this is inadequate to meet vast needs. Local groups established community kitchens during the conflict, but very few remain operational.
The United Nations and partners have publicly highlighted the dire food security and human rights situation in Al-Fashir, stressing that immediate and sustained humanitarian access is critical to prevent more deaths. Eric Perdison, WFP Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, stated that every day in Al-Fashir is a struggle for survival. Without immediate and sustained access for aid organizations, people in Al-Fashir will die, according to Perdison.
The conflict in Sudan has displaced over 14 million people and caused the collapse of much of the public infrastructure, including water and healthcare systems. It is the world's largest ongoing hunger and refugee crisis. The army of Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF militia of Mohamed Hamdan Daglo are engaged in a bloody power struggle in Sudan.
The UN and partners have issued repeated warnings and calls for a ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is also active in nearby regions, addressing related refugee needs and a deadly cholera outbreak affecting displaced populations, with plans for relocation and treatment contingent on better access.
Funding appeals are underway, focusing on aid delivery, cholera containment, and refugee assistance. However, access constraints and ongoing hostilities challenge these efforts, and sustained international pressure on combatants for humanitarian corridors remains essential. The UN and its partners call for immediate, unobstructed access and sustained commitment to address both urgent needs and longer-term recovery and justice.
- The employment policy within the community should prioritize aid workers to ensure that the dire humanitarian crisis in Al-Fashir can be addressed effectively.
- As education-and-self-development opportunities are limited due to the ongoing conflict and blockade in Al-Fashir, it is crucial to provide online resources for residents to continue their personal-growth and self-improvement.
- The migration of people fleeing the violence in Al-Fashir and other affected areas may create tensions in neighboring communities, leading to political disagreements and crime-and-justice issues.
- With the protracted conflict and humanitarian crisis causing widespread destruction and displacement in Sudan, there is an increased need for justice and reconciliation in war-and-conflicts discussions, emphasizing the importance of peaceful resolution to the ongoing struggle between power players.
- Media outlets should prioritize covering the crisis in Al-Fashir and its surrounding regions as general-news, especially highlighting the effects of accidents, fires, and other unforeseen incidents on an already vulnerable population.
