Sudan risks deeper hunger crisis as war and Hormuz disruptionHormuz disruption threaten aid
Sudan faces a worsening hunger crisis as ongoing conflict near el-Obeid and cuts to aid funding threaten to reverse gains achieved after a famine in parts of the country.
Rising agricultural costs driven by disruption linked to the Iran war further endanger civilians, raising fears the city could suffer a siege similar to el-Fasher.
This crisis matters as it risks trapping more civilians without food and may force international bodies to intervene to prevent a mass famine.
- The Strait of Hormuz handles about 20% of global oil consumption daily, making its disruption a major economic shock.
- El-Fasher in Darfur was besieged for months in 2024-2025, leading to a severe famine that killed thousands of civilians.
- North Kordofan is a key region in Sudan where the main railway line between the capital and the west passes through.
Sudan Civil War
Sudan's civil war has entered its fourth year, now defined by a de facto partition: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control Khartoum, the east, and parts of Kordofan, while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) dominate all of Darfur and hold parts of central Kordofan. The RSF captured El Fasher in October 2025 after an 18-month siege, consolidating rule over all Darfur states, while the SAF reclaimed Khartoum and the presidential palace in early 2025, officially returning the government to the capital in January 2026. Front lines have largely stabilized into this split, yet hostilities have intensified in Kordofan and Darfur, marked by widespread drone warfare and documented atrocities, including mass killings and ethnic violence.
1 January
Open fighting breaks out between the SAF and RSF, spreading across Sudan and triggering a massive humanitarian crisis.1 January
Talks on integrating the RSF into the army fail to resolve the power struggle.
