UN agency says 19.5 million people in Sudan face acute food insecurity

The UN World Food Programme said Sudan is facing the world's largest food insecurity crisis, with about 19.5 million people experiencing acute food insecurity. The agency said 825,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition and that access to health services and food aid is becoming increasingly difficult. WFP said its operations in Sudan require $579 million in emergency funding to meet humanitarian needs through October. The funding shortfall, combined with the war, a halt in agricultural production and rising prices for staple foods, has hurt relief operations, according to the agency. Sudan has been gripped by a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, which has caused mass displacement and strained humanitarian services across the country. No further details on additional funding pledges were immediately available.