Millions of Sudanese Refugees at Risk as Food Aid Faces Shutdown, WFP Warns
The World Food Programme has issued a stark warning that its food support for Sudanese refugees may be suspended in several countries as humanitarian funding runs dangerously low.
The UN agency said on Monday that aid could “grind to a halt” in Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya in the coming months unless donors step in immediately.
The crisis stems from the ongoing conflict in Sudan that broke out more than two years ago between the national army and paramilitary forces. The fighting has forced over four million people to flee the country.
In Uganda, where support systems are overwhelmed by new arrivals, many refugees now survive on less than 500 calories per day, far below minimum nutritional standards.
In Chad, which hosts nearly one million Sudanese refugees, WFP warned that food rations will shrink further without new contributions.
Children are at greatest risk. Malnutrition rates among young refugees in Uganda and South Sudan have surpassed emergency thresholds. According to WFP, many children arrive in refugee centers already severely malnourished.
“This is a full-blown regional crisis that’s unfolding in some of the most food-insecure and unstable areas in the world,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s emergency coordinator for the Sudan regional response. “Millions who fled violence in Sudan depend entirely on WFP support. Without additional funding, we’ll be forced to scale back even further, putting families especially children at greater risk.”
The ongoing crisis continues to stretch regional capacity. Host nations are grappling with economic stress, conflict, and rising food prices, leaving aid groups to fill critical gaps with dwindling resources.
WFP has called on international donors to provide urgent funding to prevent a collapse of its emergency operations.
The agency’s warning highlights the growing strain on global humanitarian efforts as multiple crises compete for limited funding. For millions displaced by war, the next meal is no longer guaranteed.
