• Over four million Sudanese refugees face potential cuts to food aid within two months.
• The World Food Programme warns of rising malnutrition and hunger for refugees in neighboring countries.
• The funding gap requires urgent attention, with a call for $200 million over six months.
• Close to half of Sudan's population is experiencing acute food insecurity, with tragic impacts on children.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a dire warning that food aid for over four million Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries could be cut off within two months unless an urgent $200 million funding injection is received. According to Shaun Hughes, the WFP's Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis, support for refugees in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya is at risk as operations are severely underfunded and resources run dry, a situation he described during a Geneva press briefing, stressing the critical nature of this need, stating, "Unless new funding is secured, all refugees will face assistance cuts" according to trtglobal and Reuters.

As a consequence, millions fleeing the ongoing civil conflict in Sudan, which has caused the deaths of approximately 40,000 people and displaced nearly 13 million since its eruption in April 2023, are at risk of worsening hunger. The WFP highlighted that these refugees are entering already food-insecure environments, complicating their plight further. Reports indicate that nearly half of Sudan's population is facing acute food insecurity, with alarming malnutrition rates affecting children, as noted by the Sudan Doctors Network, which reported the deaths of 239 children in six months in North Darfur due to extreme food shortages and lack of medical supplies, according to indiatimes.

The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by diminished support from international donors, including cuts in U.S. foreign aid programs, which the WFP cites as contributing factors to the lack of sufficient resources for refugee assistance. As Shaun Hughes articulated, food assistance is crucial for these vulnerable families, stating, "Food assistance is a lifeline for vulnerable refugee families with nowhere else to turn," emphasizing the gravity of the situation as calls for immediate assistance continue to grow from various humanitarian organizations, according to Reuters and indiatimes.