The warning came in a joint alert issued by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), citing the latest analysis from the global food insecurity monitor, IPC.

According to the assessment, over 19.5 million people – around two out of every five Sudanese – are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse. More than five million people are facing emergency levels of hunger, while around 135,000 people are already living in catastrophic conditions marked by extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and heightened risk of death.

Although no area has yet been formally classified as experiencing famine, the agencies warned that 14 areas across Darfur and Kordofan remain at risk in the coming months if fighting intensifies and humanitarian access deteriorates further.