Why aid isn't a lasting solution for millions facing famine in war-torn Sudan

After a year of war, millions of people in Sudan are facing displacement, violence and hunger. While the world has pledged billions in aid, the United Nations says the crisis can only be solved if Sudanese people are given the means to rebuild and produce their own food again.

Children carry packs of humanitarian aid at a school housing displaced people who have fled violence in war-torn Sudan, near the eastern city of Gedaref, on 10 March, 2024. © AFP

Internally displaced people and refugees are impacting the already fragile economies of Sudan and its neighbours.

A conference in Paris on Monday raised more than €2 billion in international pledges that come one year after the start of fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It's a conflict that has forced millions to flee and brought the population to the brink of famine. 

Donor countries at the Paris event recognise the seriousness of Sudan's crisis and are genuine in their desire to take meaningful action, the UN Development Programme (UNDP)'s Abdallah Al Dardari, told RFI.

They know the situation in Sudan will spillover and affect the entire region.

"Investing in Sudan is actually a global public good. There is finally a sense of urgency on the issue," Al Dardari said.

• Sudan on its knees after one year of brutal civil war

Urgent need for agriculture

But emergency handouts will not offer a lasting solution. The UN needs to revive agriculture in Sudan and to bring back food production, jobs and incomes.

"Forty percent of farmers in Sudan this year could not plant their seeds," Al Dardari said, adding that food security was a major obstacle.

"There will not be a harvest next year, which means this is very serious."

I invite you to review our new study on Sudan: https://t.co/7GSoeTNm96 which warns that 50% of farmers in #Sudan could not plant this season due to internal & external displacement, & dwindling financing for farming processes, including purchasing seeds & fertilizers pic.twitter.com/lFYfDYO3XU

— Abdallah Al Dardari (@AbdallahAldard1) April 15, 2024

UNDP figures, meanwhile, show that 50 percent of salaried employees in Sudan have lost their incomes.

Even if there was food available, half of the population would lack the money to buy it.

"What we are suggesting is a comprehensive approach that takes into consideration the immediate humanitarian needs but also [the need] to bring back livelihoods," Al Dardari said.

The logic is that investing in livelihoods will in turn reduce reliance on aid, and much of Sudan stands to benefit from the right sorts of investment.

"If we produce food in Sudan today, and if we invest in local infrastructure, bring back the microfinance markets and allow farmers to buy their inputs and so on – in areas where safety and security allow for that – it will reduce the humanitarian burden," Al Dardari said.

It would also signal to Sudanese that they aren't merely seen as victims of a human catastrophe, but as people with agency and with active voices.

• UN says 5 million at risk of starvation in Sudan

International pressure

When fighting broke out on 15 April, 2023, most diplomats and aid workers left Sudan – effectively ceasing to serve those most vulnerable. 

With the country on the brink of famine, the UN says it has been able to reach only 10 percent of Sudan's 48 million people.

Those still working on the ground already see "children dying of malnutrition every day", said Isobel Coleman of USAID, the United States' international development agency.

The international community has a role to play in stopping the fighting, she told RFI after attending the conference this week. 

Conflicting parties must be brought back to the negotiating table, Coleman said, adding that a ceasefire would allow for full humanitarian aid access and avert an even more serious crisis. 

"The sooner the better, because the suffering is immense. Most parts of the country are on the verge of famine," she said.

A year ago today, the people of Sudan awoke to a nightmare. Since then, thousands have been killed and millions more left in dire need of humanitarian aid that is still not reaching them at nearly the scale required. https://t.co/esAocCfLEL

— Samantha Power (@PowerUSAID) April 15, 2024

The US is considering further sanctions against Sudanese commanders and hopes that other countries will do the same, according to Coleman. 

She said she was optimistic about the reopening of peace talks, which are expected to resume in Saudi Arabia.

"We don't yet have a precise date, but I hope that we will know soon so we can bring all the parties involved in this crisis around the table.

"This is the only way to move forward."