Press briefing by UN Women on the extreme meals insecurity disaster in Sudan

Since the battle began in mid-April 2023, ladies and ladies have been disproportionately affected by the escalating meals disaster. And with circumstances now close to famine thresholds in a number of areas of the nation, it’s not only a meals disaster however a gender emergency brought on by a failure of gender-responsive motion. Women and ladies are bearing the brunt of extreme meals insecurity, with fewer sources, much less entry to help and larger publicity to threat.

According to the newest Gender Snapshot by the GiHA Working Group, 75 per cent of female-headed households in Sudan at the moment are meals insecure. The proportion going through extreme meals insecurity has practically doubled in only one 12 months – from 14 per cent in 2024 to just about 26 per cent in early 2025. Today, female-headed households are thrice extra more likely to be meals insecure than these led by males.

This is the results of systemic inequalities, compounded by battle and displacement. Women are more and more left to move households alone – as a result of demise, disappearance or compelled displacement of male relations. And but, they face the best boundaries to meals, earnings and support.

Nearly half of all female-headed households report poor meals consumption. Only one-third have entry to a suitable weight loss plan. And greater than 70 per cent of ladies nationally don’t meet minimal dietary variety requirements, placing maternal and little one well being at grave threat.

But amid this disaster, ladies should not solely victims of battle – they’re additionally highly effective brokers of change. Women-led organizations (WLOs) are reaching last-mile communities and saving lives, but stay underfunded and excluded from key decision-making. By supporting women-led initiatives, we’re strengthening the resilience of whole communities.

They are operating meals kitchens and delivering meals, but stay under-recognized. One women-led group working throughout eight states was just lately compelled to close down greater than half of its meals kitchens – not as a result of the necessity had diminished, however as a result of the funding did. We should act – and we should act now.

UN Women requires the next pressing actions:

1. Prioritize female-headed households and at-risk teams – together with pregnant and breastfeeding ladies and adolescent ladies – in all meals help.
2. Fund and elevate women-led meals help initiatives with versatile, direct and predictable financing.
3. Integrate women-led organizations into decision-making in any respect ranges of the humanitarian response.
4. Link meals help to safety and restoration, together with gender-based violence mitigation and ladies’s livelihoods.
5. Track gender outcomes, not simply outputs – as a result of tonnage alone doesn’t inform the total story.

In closing, allow us to not look forward to famine to be declared earlier than we act. Let us take heed to ladies, fund their management and put gender equality on the coronary heart of our response. Things are getting worse, however with daring, coordinated and gender-responsive motion, we will flip the tide.