Passing the 1,000th day of civil conflict in January 2026, the humanitarian situation in Sudan remains the world’s most desperate and most neglected crisis. On top of the ever-growing death toll and alarming reports of widespread sexual violence, observers and international bodies have accused both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the weaponization of hunger, with Sudanese civilians bearing the brunt of this cruelty. On Feb. 19, 2026, the U.K. foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, alongside European and international collaborators, signed a Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan, which they hope will signal a move away from rhetoric and toward action in addressing the atrocities.

Weaponization of Hunger: The Effects and Mechanics

The World Food Program (WFP) has confirmed famine in two parts of the country, El Fasher in the west and Kadugli in the south. Here, 375,000 people face the most drastic level of food insecurity according to the globally ratified Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Level 5. Elsewhere, moreover, more than 21 million people, nearly half of the country’s population, are suffering from acute levels of food insecurity.

The impact on food security is not an unfortunate by-product of the conflict. Instead, the two warring civil factions have orchestrated it as a war tactic. It has resulted from numerous sustained aid blockages as well as targeted attacks on humanitarian workers and volunteers. Of course, the disruption to domestic food production and increased food prices have exacerbated the crisis.

The U.K.’s Pledge

With neighboring Arab stakeholders bankrolling both sides and both militaries becoming more obstinate in their ambitions, the conflict shows little to no sign of halting. In response, voices across the world have amplified pleas for the conflict to end.

In an address to the Commons on Feb. 5, Yvette Cooper outlined the U.K.’s current status as a major contributor to foreign aid in Sudan, with pledges to increase aid given the current climate. “In December, the U.K. provided an additional £21 million for food, shelter and health services,” she said, amounting to a total of £146 million that has served 800,000 people over the past year.

Cooper’s other contribution has been diplomatic. She recently traveled to Addis Ababa and to Chad, where she held meetings with foreign ministers and members of the African Union to discuss opening aid channels, expanding the currently limited arms embargo and possibilities of engendering a temporary ceasefire.

Responding to the secretary of state’s statement, two MPs explicitly brought up the issue of weaponized hunger in Sudan and questioned whether the government was taking appropriate measures to confront it. Harpreet Uppal, the Labour MP for Huddersfield, and Jim Shannon, Strangford’s DUP representative, called for urgent increases in funding from the U.K. and international partners as well as increased U.N. presence in the worst-affected areas of Kadugli in South Kordofan and risk zones in Darfur and Kordofan. Though they welcomed the increased attention the U.K. government is giving to the humanitarian crisis, they believe more remains to be done.

Monica Harding, MP for Esher and Walton, called for effective intervention in Sudan’s gold trade, control of which is a constant battleground for the SAF and RSF and the profits from which fund a considerable portion of both operations. The U.K. and its allies need to impose sanctions, she argues, and expand the arms embargo “beyond Darfur to the whole country.” In the short term, she emphasizes that a ceasefire is essential if parties are to reopen humanitarian corridors safely.

Cooper reassured the Commons that she had met with the U.N. secretary-general and the U.N. emergency coordinator, Tom Fletcher, who confirmed that the Quad, a temporary alliance of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the U.S. formed to establish a humanitarian truce in Sudan, was discussing those topics. They are also “pressing for much greater humanitarian access.” Though MPs may welcome the government demonstrating concern with confronting the Sudanese crisis, bolstered by increases in foreign aid, for now, they only have verbal affirmation.

International Input

In the same Commons session, Adam Jogee MP turned attention beyond the U.K. and demanded an update on the contribution European allies are making. He asked Cooper to clarify what France, Italy, Spain and Ireland are doing to end the humanitarian crisis and the weaponization of hunger in Sudan. In response, Cooper reminded the chamber of an upcoming conference that will take place in Berlin in April and aims to discuss funding for an effective humanitarian aid program in the region.

Elsewhere, it is also important to mention the United States, which, despite budget cuts, has joined other nations in increasing the foreign aid directed to Sudan. On Feb. 3, the United States and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) held a joint conference centered on raising funds to address the situation. In total, donors pledged to contribute $1.5 billion to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, which distributes money to various NGOs and U.N. agencies. Some critics have questioned the sincerity of these pledges due to the conflicts of interest among some of the countries involved.

As Sudan’s war continues, the WFP’s confirmation of famine and the obstruction of aid by warring factions highlight the deliberate weaponization of hunger. Despite pledges of increased support and diplomacy from Yvette Cooper and international partners, enforceable action, including sanctions, expanded embargoes and protected humanitarian access, may prove necessary if starvation is not to remain one of the conflict’s most devastating weapons.

– Jude Parsons

Jude is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr