Sudan’s war devastates farming, pushes millions toward famine

More than two years of armed conflict in Sudan have ravaged the country’s agriculture sector, slashing food production and plunging nearly half of the population into an unprecedented hunger crisis.

According to the United Nations, about 24.6 million Sudanese are now facing “severe food insecurity or worse,” with some 637,000 people enduring famine-like conditions, the most catastrophic level of hunger.

The World Health Organization on Friday confirmed famine in parts of the country.

Agriculture, once the backbone of Sudan’s economy, has been crippled by widespread fighting that destroyed irrigation systems, drove farm workers from their land and left vast areas uncultivated.

Since 2024, the conflict has spread into key grain-producing regions in central and southeastern Sudan, further reducing arable land.

The Gezira agricultural scheme, Sudan’s largest irrigated farming zone, has been particularly hard hit.

Local authorities estimate the conflict has caused between 15 billion and 20 billion U.S. dollars in damages.

“The infrastructure of the Gezira agricultural zone has suffered severe damage in the conflict. Houses and buildings, irrigation facilities, farm machinery and other agricultural inputs were badly damaged. Large tracts of farmland have been abandoned, and even the management offices were destroyed,” said Khaled Al-Din, head of the Gezira agricultural area.

Although fighting in Gezira has eased since early this year and displaced families are beginning to return, recovery has been slow.

A shortage of funds has stalled the repair of reservoirs and irrigation systems, leaving farmers unable to resume production.

Local residents describe the conditions as desperate.

“Everything is terrible. We have no money, no food, and all supplies are exhausted. We don’t even have drinking water, so we fetch it from the river. This is the hardship we are facing now,” said local resident Muhammad Adel.