Sudan's Agriculture Minister Denies Famine Amid Crisis

Sudan's agriculture minister, Abubakr al-Bushra, denied reports of famine in the country, despite U.N.-backed data indicating 755,000 people in catastrophic hunger. The Sudanese army blocks aid to RSF-controlled areas, exacerbating the crisis. Al-Bushra rejected potential Security Council orders to open borders for aid deliveries.

In a recent statement, Sudan's agriculture minister, Abubakr al-Bushra, refuted claims of widespread famine across the country despite U.N.-backed data suggesting otherwise. Al-Bushra questioned the credibility of the estimates that paint a grim picture with 755,000 people suffering from catastrophic hunger.

Sudan is embroiled in a severe hunger crisis exacerbated by the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The ongoing conflict has led to blockades on aid and commerce entering RSF-controlled regions, intensifying the already dire food shortages experienced by many citizens.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) had indicated potential famine risk across 14 hotspots in Sudan, stating that half the population faced acute hunger. Al-Bushra, however, dismissed calls for international intervention to facilitate aid deliveries and criticized the reliability of data from RSF-controlled areas.