UN-backed IPC declares famine in el-Fasher and Kadugli

A United Nations-backed hunger monitoring group on Monday declared famine in two Sudanese population centers, el-Fasher in North Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan, saying the conditions have resulted from prolonged sieges, fighting and a collapse of livelihoods that have cut off food and basic services to hundreds of thousands of people. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said the two locations met its Phase 5 criteria of starvation, extremely high malnutrition and excess deaths, and warned that 20 other areas in Darfur and Kordofan are at risk.

The IPC said about 375,000 people in Darfur and Kordofan were in famine as of September, and that more than 21 million Sudanese, roughly 45 percent of the population, face acute food insecurity. Another 6.3 million were classified in the phase immediately below famine, meaning they face extreme hunger. The agency urged an immediate ceasefire and a significant scale up of humanitarian assistance to prevent further loss of life.

El-Fasher fell last week after an 18-month siege by the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary force fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces for control of territory, the IPC said. The group has also...