Catastrophe in Al-Fashir
A devastating humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Sudan’s besieged city of Al-Fashir. A military siege has triggered mass starvation, disease, and death, deliberately cutting off a million people from food, water, and medicine.
63+
Deaths from Starvation in One Week
This official count only includes those who reached a hospital, suggesting the true toll is far higher.
1 Million
Civilians Trapped
The population of Al-Fashir and surrounding camps are caught between warring factions with no safe way out.
460%
Increase in Food Prices
The siege has caused hyperinflation, pushing basic staples completely out of reach for most families.
The Human Cost of Hunger
The siege has systematically dismantled the city’s food systems, leading to extreme malnutrition, especially among the most vulnerable. With community kitchens closed and markets empty, families are resorting to eating animal fodder to survive. The impact on children is catastrophic.
Child Malnutrition in Al-Fashir
Nearly 40% of children under five are acutely malnourished. Data from the UN reveals a crisis threatening an entire generation.
Reported Hunger-Related Deaths
These figures represent a fraction of the reality, as many deaths go unrecorded in the conflict zone.
Anatomy of a Siege
The crisis is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made catastrophe. Since April 2024, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have besieged Al-Fashir, the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur. Starvation is being used as a weapon of war to subjugate the population and seize control of the strategic region.
Blocked Lifelines
For over a year, humanitarian access to Al-Fashir has been systematically denied. Aid convoys are blocked or attacked, and international calls for a humanitarian pause have been rejected by the RSF. This deliberate obstruction has crippled the healthcare system and ensures that life-saving supplies cannot reach those in desperate need.
Major Disease Outbreaks Across Sudan
Weakened by hunger, the population is highly vulnerable to disease. A collapsing healthcare system is unable to respond.
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Aid Convoys Attacked
A joint WFP/UNICEF convoy was attacked in June 2025, killing 5 aid workers and destroying critical supplies.
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Hospitals Under Fire
Repeated attacks forced MSF to cease operations in Al-Fashir. The city’s only remaining hospital has few supplies.
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Humanitarian Pauses Rejected
The RSF has consistently rejected UN calls for a pause in fighting to allow aid delivery, despite SAF agreement.
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Roads Blocked for Over a Year
The WFP has been unable to deliver food by road into the city, cutting off the primary supply route.
The Global Response
The international community has issued strong condemnations and passed UN Security Council resolutions demanding the siege end. However, these calls have gone unheeded on the ground. A catastrophic funding shortfall for the humanitarian response plan means aid organizations lack the resources to address what the UN calls the world’s largest hunger crisis.
Humanitarian Funding Gap (2025)
The $4.2 billion plan to assist 21 million people across Sudan is critically underfunded, leaving millions without support.
Key International Actions
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UNSC Resolution 2736
In June 2024, the UN Security Council explicitly demanded the RSF halt the siege of Al-Fashir and allow humanitarian access.
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African Union Condemnation
The AU has condemned the RSF’s actions and called for the siege to be lifted, engaging in diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.
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US Sanctions & Pressure
The U.S. has imposed sanctions and is assessing whether to designate the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization.
UNSC Resolution 2736
In June 2024, the UN Security Council explicitly demanded the RSF halt the siege of Al-Fashir and allow humanitarian access.
African Union Condemnation
The AU has condemned the RSF’s actions and called for the siege to be lifted, engaging in diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire.
US Sanctions & Pressure
The U.S. has imposed sanctions and is assessing whether to designate the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization.