The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and more than 25 European countries, together with the European Commission, warned on October 23 that Sudan is experiencing an alarming deterioration in its food security and that the risk of famine in the coming months, as warned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), needs urgent action. 'There is no time to lose to save lives and prevent famine,' the joint ministerial statement said, in a text published in full by the UK government and by Global Affairs Canada.

Source: UK Government (GOV.UK), joint ministerial statement, Oct 23, 2026

An estimated 19.5 million people (41% of the country's population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, including 5 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity, the statement said. Yaani: 19.5 million is about 1.95 crore people, and the 5 million at emergency level is about 50 lakh people. Without immediate action to reverse the current trajectory, the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected 825,000 — yaani more than 8.25 lakh children — and the number of food insecure areas, initially assessed at 14, is expected to double, the statement said. No child is named or identified here, in line with this site's rule on minors; these are aggregate figures from the statement.

Source: Global Affairs Canada (Canada.ca), joint statement, Oct 23, 2026

Conflict is the key driver of Sudan's hunger crisis, the statement said, displacing millions of people, damaging critical infrastructure and disrupting healthcare, food production, supply chains and markets. The situation is being exacerbated by systematic obstruction of aid and by El Niño, which has resulted in reduced rainfall and increased drought across over half of Sudan. The signatories said the parties to the conflict bear primary responsibility for alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people, and urged them to lift all impediments on humanitarian assistance, allow full, safe, rapid and unimpeded access, and protect humanitarian personnel.

Source: UK Government (GOV.UK), joint ministerial statement, Oct 23, 2026

In practice, the statement called on the parties to authorise humanitarian operations through all crossline and cross-border routes, including air access into Darfur; to sustain the presence and protection of humanitarian personnel, including by reducing visa and customs delays; to refrain from strikes on civilian infrastructure, including agriculture and food systems; and to strengthen civil-military coordination. It also called on the wider international community to urgently scale up funding and on development and financial institutions to focus programmes on the areas of greatest need, including support for the winter cropping season and locally led responses. The European Commission's humanitarian aid service published the same statement on October 23. Sources: the joint ministerial statement as published by GOV.UK, Global Affairs Canada and the European Commission.

Source: European Commission, Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Oct 23, 2026