"No Cash, No Food, No Medicine:" Sudan’s Kordofan Region on the Brink

09 July 2025

A devastating yet overlooked humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan's Kordofan region, now the epicenter of the ongoing conflict. Fighting continues across North, South, and West Kordofan, with frontlines shifting daily, driving repeated waves of displacement and choking off already limited access to aid.  

Mercy Corps Country Director for Sudan, Kadry Furany, says: 

"Conflict, displacement, and economic collapse are converging to devastate Kordofan. In Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, our team describes a city under siege. Roads have been cut off, supply lines have collapsed, and residents are walking miles just to search for salt or matches. The little food available is sold at exorbitant prices, rationed in small quantities, and often vanishes within hours. 

"Layla, a Mercy Corps team member in Kadugli recently shared, 'We spend hours just trying to find breakfast. Sometimes there is no food at all, and we say this is even worse than the bombs.' 

"Prices for basic staples have soared since April—rice is up 43%, while lentils, sugar, and wheat flour have doubled. Cowpeas have more than doubled, rising from 24,000 to 50,000 SDG for 3.5 kg, with some traders charging as much as 70,000 SDG. Even these inflated figures understate the desperation, as many items are simply no longer available in local markets. 

"Another staff member told us, 'We are starving to death in Kadugli town. The food items have become unaffordable. You can't even buy 1kg of meat to feed your family—the price is unimaginable. We are not able to cope with this overwhelming crisis.' 

"Families fleeing violence are sheltering in open fields, stadiums and schools around Kadugli. Aid workers on the ground are struggling to meet the most basic needs. Our team warns that health services have all but collapsed. If someone falls ill, there may be no medicine—another crisis on top of starvation.  

"Now, a new threat looms. Extremely heavy rainfall is forecast in and around Kadugli and parts of West Kordofan, raising the risk of flash flooding that could devastate overcrowded displacement sites and already strained communities. The planting season is also approaching, but insecurity and lack of access mean farmers can't get seeds in the ground, and any food production is at risk. 

"Without urgent action, the suffering in Sudan will continue to deepen—and spread. We need immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to reach vulnerable communities, emergency funding to scale life-saving assistance, and sustained global attention to prevent further catastrophe.  

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