Sudan Withdraws from Global Hunger Monitoring System Amid Escalating Famine Crisis

The Sudanese government has suspended its participation in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, a global mechanism for tracking and addressing hunger, just ahead of the release of a report expected to reveal a worsening famine across the country. The move, announced in a letter dated December 23 by Sudan’s agriculture minister, accuses the IPC of “issuing unreliable reports that undermine Sudan's sovereignty and dignity.”

The IPC, an independent body supported by Western nations and humanitarian organizations, is anticipated to publish a report on Tuesday indicating that famine has spread to five regions in Sudan and could expand to 10 by May 2024. According to a briefing document seen by Reuters, the findings highlight an “unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis, driven by devastating conflict and limited humanitarian access.” A spokesperson for the Rome-based IPC declined to comment on the suspension.

The withdrawal could significantly hamper efforts to address one of the world's most acute hunger crises. A leader from an NGO operating in Sudan, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that this decision undermines global efforts to combat food insecurity.

“Withdrawal from the IPC system won’t change the reality of hunger on the ground,” the source said. “But it deprives the international community of a vital tool to navigate Sudan’s hunger crisis. Without independent analysis, we are navigating blind through this storm of food insecurity.”

Efforts to reach Sudan’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations for comment were unsuccessful.

The IPC system, which analyzes food insecurity and provides early warnings to avert famine, typically collaborates with national governments to gather data. In Sudan, the government has led the IPC’s analysis group. However, the system’s operations have faced increasing challenges since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023 between the army-backed government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

The conflict has disrupted data collection in areas controlled by both factions. Earlier this year, a Reuters investigation revealed that the Sudanese government delayed a famine declaration for the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons, where some residents have resorted to eating tree leaves to survive.

The government’s letter, addressed to the IPC and its Famine Review Committee, claims the forthcoming report lacks updated data on malnutrition and crop productivity during the recent rainy season, which the government described as “successful.” It also expressed concerns about the IPC’s ability to collect reliable data from RSF-controlled territories.

Sudan is not the only country to obstruct the IPC’s work. In Myanmar, authorities have reportedly suppressed hunger data and threatened aid workers, prompting the IPC to remove its assessments from public view to protect researchers. Similarly, in Yemen, authorities have manipulated data, while Ethiopia stopped cooperating with the IPC in 2021 following an unfavorable finding of catastrophic acute food insecurity affecting 350,000 people.

Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, described Sudan’s decision as “both pathetic and tragic,” pointing to a long history of the Sudanese government denying famine to protect its sovereignty and pride.

“Whenever there’s a famine in Sudan, they consider it an affront to their sovereignty,” said de Waal, a leading expert on famine. “They prioritize their pride and control over the lives of their citizens.”

The suspension comes at a time when millions of Sudanese face life-threatening hunger, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and restricted humanitarian access. The international community’s ability to respond effectively to this crisis now hangs in the balance, as Sudan’s decision further isolates the nation from global mechanisms designed to prevent mass starvation.