Ceasefire urgently needed as country marks grim milestone
Sudan’s hunger crisis is reaching unprecedented levels after 1,000 days of deadly war, Islamic Relief says. A ceasefire is urgently needed more than ever and the charity is calling on international governments to reinvigorate political efforts to end the war.
Fierce fighting and global funding cuts are pushing more families into starvation, particularly in the vast states of Darfur and Kordofan. A new UN assessment in North Darfur shows more than half of young children are malnourished – one of the highest rates ever recorded worldwide. More than 45% of people across Sudan – over 21 million people – are suffering acute food shortages and a recent Islamic Relief assessment in Gedaref and Darfur found 83% of families don’t have enough food.
Islamic Relief has delivered aid to over 1.2 million people across Sudan since the war erupted in April 2023 – but much more is desperately needed.
Elsadig Elnour, Islamic Relief’s senior programme manager in Sudan, said:
“This war cannot be allowed to go on any longer. For 1,000 days we’ve seen our country ripped apart and civilians attacked, starved and forced from their land. We’re seeing parents go without food to try and save their malnourished children, and people eating animal fodder and leaves to survive. Community kitchens that have saved many lives are now shutting down due to lack of international support, pushing more families into starvation.”
A report from Islamic Relief recently warned that many volunteer-run community kitchens, known as Takaaya, face imminent closure. Many have recently had to shut down in Darfur and Kordofan, removing the last lifeline for many families in areas where international aid is not reaching them in the quantity needed.
While international attention briefly peaked as attacks on El Fasher culminated late last year, the crisis risks being forgotten again while intense fighting continues. More than 100 people were reported killed in the last week alone.
Elsadig Elnour said:
“Many international governments have either forgotten or ignored the suffering, or are actively fuelling and prolonging the war through weapons, finance, and political support. People urgently need humanitarian aid but that isn’t a long-term solution. We need the international community to play a constructive role and use their diplomatic power to bring a ceasefire and lasting peace. Millions of lives and the future of Sudan is at stake.”
Notes
Islamic Relief’s recent report, Takaaya: How community kitchens offer a local lifeline to Sudan’s hunger crisis, is available here: islamic-relief.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Takaaya.pdf
Since April 2023, Islamic Relief has supported more than 1.2 million people with aid – such as food, medical supplies, cash assistance, agricultural support and mental health support. It works all over Sudan, including in central Darfur, north and west Kordofan, Khartoum, Gedaref, Red Sea State, Al Jazirah, Sennar and Blue Nile.
