Sudan rejects UN-backed famine declaration

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese government on Sunday rejected a UN report describing the food security situation in the war-torn country as a famine.

Agriculture Minister Abubakar Omar El-Bushra expressed reservations about the methodology used in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, particularly its data collection and analysis methods.

"The figures are unrealistic," he added at a news conference in the eastern city of Port Sudan.

The minister said the report's surveys covered 15 states, 11 of which are in conflict zones, with seven under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, making field surveys impossible.

The agriculture minister announced Sudan's decision to discontinue its association with the IPC.

"The Sudanese government rejects the exploitation of food security issues and the imposition of famine as a reality in war-torn countries," he added.

On Tuesday, the IPC Famine Review Committee, a global hunger monitoring group comprising UN agencies, regional partners, and relief organizations, released a report on Sudan, highlighting an unprecedented famine crisis, stating that 24.6 million people, nearly half of the population, are experiencing food insecurity.

The report further identified five areas already experiencing famine, with five more projected to face famine by May 2025.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry called the IPC report “flawed.”

"No new data was collected due to the ongoing conflict since 2022. The report relies on outdated information," the ministry noted in a statement on Sunday.

On the same day, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher warned of famine threatening millions in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF.

International and UN calls to end the war have intensified as Sudan faces a looming humanitarian catastrophe, with millions at risk of starvation and death due to food shortages caused by fighting in 13 of the country’s 18 states.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala