Sudan's Humanitarian Crisis Deepens: Two Cities Confirmed in Famine Following Extended Military Sieges

ICC prosecutors announced on Monday they are gathering evidence related to alleged mass killings in Sudan.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Monday that famine conditions have emerged in al-Fashir, recently captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after an extended siege, as well as in Kadugli, another besieged city in southern Sudan.

This marks the first official famine designation for these cities by the IPC, although in December it had already confirmed famine conditions in displacement camps around al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur.

The ongoing conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army, now in its third year, has triggered widespread hunger and malnutrition throughout Sudan, displaced millions of people, and sparked waves of ethnically motivated violence across Darfur.

The IPC, internationally recognized as the standard for measuring hunger crisis severity, has released findings that have drawn criticism from Sudan's army-backed government.

During the 18-month siege of al-Fashir, which fell to RSF forces late last month, food supplies were completely cut off. Residents reported being forced to consume animal feed and sometimes animal hides for survival. According to witness accounts provided to Reuters, community kitchen gathering spots were targeted by drone attacks.

Sylvain Pennicaud, an MSF project coordinator, informed Reuters on Monday that all children arriving in nearby Tawila after escaping al-Fashir showed signs of malnutrition, while adults appeared severely emaciated.

International Criminal Court prosecutors stated Monday they are collecting evidence of alleged mass killings and rapes following al-Fashir's fall. The Red Cross head noted that history appears to be repeating itself in Darfur.

The latest IPC report, based on September 2025 analysis, indicated that Tawila, Mellit, and Tawisha—areas receiving those fleeing al-Fashir—are now at risk of famine.

The IPC reported that the overall number of Sudanese facing acute food insecurity has decreased by 6% to 21.2 million people—approximately 45% of Sudan's total population. This modest improvement results from gradual stabilization and improved access in central Sudan, where the army established control earlier this year.

However, conditions have significantly deteriorated in Darfur and Kordofan regions where fighting has intensified, destroying livelihoods, driving up prices, and forcing mass displacement.

Global aid reductions and bureaucratic obstacles hampering United Nations and aid agencies' ability to deliver food and essential services have compounded Sudan's humanitarian crisis.

Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, remains under siege by the RSF-allied SPLM-N armed group, with hunger spreading there since the war's beginning.

The broader Kordofan region has increasingly become a strategic battleground, positioned between RSF-dominated Darfur and army-controlled territories in the rest of the country. According to the IPC, the nearby city of al-Dalanj may also be experiencing famine conditions, but insufficient data prevents official confirmation.

On Monday, a Red Crescent official reported that three volunteers in a North Kordofan state city recently captured by the RSF, who were shown being beaten in video footage, were subsequently killed.

The RSF has denied responsibility for alleged summary executions.