Sudan 2025: Famine Along the El Fasher-El Obeid Corridor
Why more than 12 million people still have no safe access to aid
UNHCR and UNOCHA report more than 12 million displaced people, 1.2 million trapped in El Fasher, and millions of square kilometers of contaminated land.
Displacement and control
The RSF controls almost all routes into El Fasher, while the Sudanese army holds El Obeid and parts of the east. More than 12 million people have been displaced nationwide, and 1.2 million remain trapped around El Fasher in overcrowded camps with little protection or reliable supplies.
Contaminated land
UNMAS warns that roughly 13 million square kilometers of land are contaminated by mines or explosive remnants, especially along the N5, N7, and the road to Mellit. That contamination slows down both evacuations and aid deliveries.
Supply corridors under fire
Since September, UNOCHA has documented 27 attacks on aid convoys. The RSF uses blockades to control fuel and grain, while the army responds with airstrikes along main roads, often very close to settlements. Aid corridors have become military objectives rather than humanitarian lifelines.
The El Fasher to Mellit corridor
The northern corridor is the only route that remains partly passable, but the RSF demands fees and seizes diesel. In October, only four of twelve registered convoys reached their destination.
An air bridge as a fallback
UNHAS is exploring an air bridge, but the plan has stalled because neither side can provide lasting safety guarantees. Runways have been shelled repeatedly, and insurers are refusing coverage.
Health and nutrition
The IPC classifies six states in Phase 4, while North Darfur risks sliding into Phase 5 by January 2026. WHO reports 18,000 suspected cholera cases and sharply rising measles numbers. Only about 30 percent of health facilities are still working at any meaningful level.
Child malnutrition
UNICEF says 42 percent of the children it screened under age five show acute malnutrition. Therapeutic food now reaches El Fasher mostly by airdrop.
Fuel shortages
Hospitals have enough diesel for roughly two weeks at most. Generators stop several times a day, which makes surgery and refrigeration increasingly impossible.
What needs to happen next
UNOCHA is calling for secure corridors and sanctions against armed groups that loot relief supplies. Without a political settlement, more displacement toward Chad and South Sudan is likely. A regional famine would quickly become a regional security problem.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and further reading
Authoritative external sources for deeper context
UN News - Civilians trapped in El Fasher (12 Nov 2025)
UN News
UNOCHA Sudan Humanitarian Update No. 42/2025
UNOCHA
UNMAS - Sudan explosive ordnance contamination alert (Nov 2025)
UNMAS
External links lead to independent sources. FrontWatch does not assume responsibility for third-party content.
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