The Sudanese government has rejected a United Nations-backed report declaring a famine in parts of the country, citing flaws in the data collection and analysis process.
Agriculture Minister Abubakar Omar El-Bushra criticized the findings of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report during a news conference in Port Sudan on Sunday. He claimed the figures were “unrealistic,” arguing that surveys conducted in conflict zones were unreliable due to ongoing clashes.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving many areas inaccessible. The minister noted that seven of the surveyed regions were under RSF siege, making fieldwork impossible.
Sudan Withdraws from IPC Framework
El-Bushra announced Sudan’s decision to cut ties with the IPC, accusing international bodies of politicizing food security issues. “The Sudanese government rejects attempts to impose famine declarations as a reality in war-torn countries,” he stated.
The IPC report, released last Tuesday, painted a dire picture of Sudan’s food crisis. It estimated that 24.6 million people—nearly half the population—face food insecurity, with five areas already experiencing famine and five more at risk by May 2025.
Foreign Ministry Deems Report “Flawed”
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry echoed the agriculture minister’s criticism, dismissing the IPC findings as outdated. “No new data has been collected since 2022 due to the conflict,” the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher warned that millions are at risk of starvation if the conflict persists. The fighting, which has devastated 13 of Sudan’s 18 states, has intensified international calls for a ceasefire to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.