GENEVA/ROME - I would like to share the latest updates from WFP about circumstances in Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions as well as our operational response.
El Fasher, North Darfur
The little that is known about current conditions in El Fasher is beyond horrific. Anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 people could remain trapped inside.
Network blackouts mean communications are largely cut off and extremely limited information is coming out of the city. Satellite images and survivor accounts describe the city as a crime scene with mass killings, burned bodies, and abandoned markets. There is also no indication that trade routes have opened up again and that any supplies are going into the city.
There are no WFP humanitarian partners left on ground and no verified reports that any community kitchens are operating.
Leaving El Fasher is extremely dangerous, with high risks of robbery, looting, and gender-based violence for women. The city and its surrounding roads are littered with mines and unexploded ordnance, making movement perilous.
WFP staff who have met with people who did manage to escape to other parts of Darfur report that people had to pay exorbitant amounts for transport out of El Fasher, in addition to facing major protection risks.
Where people are arriving, assistance is limited and stretched - with people staying out under the open sky, without medicine, and limited water supplies.
WFP is providing assistance to newly the displaced wherever possible, but as people are on the move, meeting them where they are is a logistical and operational challenge.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for unimpeded access to El Fasher to urgently assess humanitarian needs. We understand as of yesterday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) authorities have agreed to our (UN) minimum conditions in principle for the UN to enter El Fasher.
After more than a year and a half under siege, the essentials for survival have been obliterated: markets destroyed, healthcare facilities decimated, and basic services wiped out.
WFP is ready: food and trucks are in place to immediately reach the entire civilian population if safe passage is secured. We can react fast if access is granted.
Tawila, North Darfur
Over 650,000 people have sought safety in Tawila - the once small desert town has become a sprawling displacement settlement with a population the size of Boston, or the entire population of Luxembourg.
The majority of families fled from Zamzam IDP camp in April 2025. Now more people are arriving from El Fasher since RSF took over the city late October 2025. These are families who endured famine and mass atrocities and are now living in overcrowded conditions.
There is not enough shelter for people, many are staying in make-shift structures made of grass and straw.
Cholera is widespread.
WFP is providing food, but there is no healthcare, no sanitation, and very limited humanitarian support. Conditions are extremely difficult, and the needs are immense.
The town is stretched far beyond its capacity and the humanitarian response can't keep pace with the needs.
WFP assisted around half a million people in the city in November. Across Darfur we have consistently reached around two million people per month - half of whom are in North Darfur, in areas surrounding El Fasher.
Across Sudan, WFP continues to reach over four million people each month with emergency food, cash, and nutrition aid.
We have convoys en route to Tawila with more than 8,600 metric tons - enough for 700,000 people for a month.
Just last week, one truck from one of the Tawila convoys was hit in a strike. The driver was seriously injured, though I am pleased to say he has now been released from hospital.
This attack underscores the huge risks that humanitarians in Sudan face on a daily basis.
Conflict Continues Unabated
The conflict continues to evolve, with shifting territorial control placing vulnerable communities at grave risk. The deadly assaults on Zamzam in April 2025 and El Fasher in October 2025 by RSF are tragic reminders of the devastating toll such shifts can exact.
WFP is also deeply concerned about escalating violence in the Kordofan region, particularly in Kadugli. Preventing the devastation seen in El Fasher from repeating in Kadugli must be a priority.
With frontlines now concentrated in Kordofan, each clash forces more families to flee, compounding humanitarian needs at a time when resources are already stretched thin.
WFP managed to get a convoy into Kadugli in October and has two more ready to move once permissions are secured.
Funding Outlook and Challenges
Operational gains made by WFP over the past year are at risk. Pipeline breaks loom.
WFP warns of drastic ration cuts starting in 2026, with full pipeline breaks for food and nutrition supplies expected by April without new funding.
To maintain current levels of assistance, WFP has been forced to stretch supplies thin. Beginning in January, rations will be reduced to 70 percent for communities in famine areas and 50 percent for those at risk of famine - the absolute minimum for survival.
Even with these measures, WFP only has resources to sustain current support for four months.
If another massive surge in displacement occurs - as seen recently from El Fasher - WFP will be forced to cut assistance elsewhere in Sudan. This is a devastating situation to be facing as we work tirelessly to respond to the world's largest humanitarian disaster.
To protect hard-won gains, WFP must sustain a constant flow of aid. $695 million is urgently required over the next six months to keep momentum. Without this, the hunger crisis could spiral further out of control instead of improving.
