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El-Fasher taken by paramilitary force late last monthFood supplies had been cut off during long siegeUN-backed monitor first confirmed famine in Darfur last yearA global hunger monitor on Monday confirmed famine conditions in El-Fasher, the Sudanese city taken by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a lengthy siege, as well as Kadugli, another besieged city in Sudan's south. The finding is the first time the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has determined that the cities are in famine, though in December it had confirmed famine in camps for displaced people in El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur.A war that began two-and-a-half years ago between the RSF and the Sudanese army has caused severe hunger and malnutrition to spread across Sudan, as well as displacing millions of people and triggering waves of ethnically charged violence in Darfur. The IPC is the internationally recognised standard for measuring the severity of hunger crises, and its findings have provoked criticism from Sudan's government, which is backed by the army.The IPC's first determination of famine during the conflict was for the Zamzam displacement camp south of El-Fasher in August 2024. El-Fasher was subject to RSF assaults and besieged for about 18 months before it fell late last month, deepening a geographical split in Sudan. During the siege, residents said food supplies were cut off, forcing people to eat animal feed and sometimes animal hides. Places where people gathered for community kitchen meals were targeted by drone attacks, they told Reuters.As a result, all children arriving in the nearby town of Tawila after fleeing El-Fasher were malnourished, MSF project coordinator Sylvain Pennicaud told Reuters on Monday, while adults arrived emaciated. International Criminal Court prosecutors said on Monday they were collecting evidence of alleged mass killings and rapes after El-Fasher's fall. The head of the Red Cross said history was repeating itself in Darfur.Monday's IPC report, based on analysis for September 2025, said Tawila, as well as Mellit and Tawisha, two other destinations for people fleeing El-Fasher, were at risk of famine. The IPC said the overall number of Sudanese facing acute food insecurity declined by 6% to 21.2 million people - or 45% of the total population - due to gradual stabilisation and improved access in central Sudan, where the Sudanese army took control at the start of the year.However, the situation deteriorated in the Darfur and Kordofan regions as fighting concentrated there, depriving people of livelihoods, increasing prices, and driving displacement, IPC said. Global aid cuts and bureaucratic impediments hobbling the ability of the United Nations and other aid agencies to provide food and other services have increased the humanitarian challenge in Sudan.Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan state, has been under siege by the RSF-allied SPLM-N armed group, though hunger has been spreading there since the start of the war.The wider Kordofan region has increasingly become a focus of the war as it lies between RSF-dominated Darfur and the rest of the country, where the army holds sway. The IPC said the nearby city al-Dalanj could also be in famine, but a lack of data prevented a determination. On Monday, a Red Crescent official said three volunteers in a city in North Kordofan state that was taken over by the RSF, who were shown being beaten in a video clip, were later killed.The RSF has denied responsibility for alleged summary executions.

Unicef says children's deaths could spikeChildren haven't eaten properly for 'way too long'WFP, Israeli security source expect 600 trucks a day to enter GazaUNRWA says it has enough food for three months waiting outside GazaThe UN children's charity Unicef called on Friday for all crossings for food aid into war-shattered Gaza to be opened, saying children in the territory were especially vulnerable because they have gone without proper food for long periods."The situation is critical. We risk seeing a massive spike in child death, not only neonatal, but also infants, given their immune systems are more compromised than ever before," said Unicef spokesperson Ricardo Pires.Children's immunity is low because "they haven't been eating properly and recently at all for way too long", he said.Israeli troops began pulling back from some parts of the Palestinian territory on Friday under a ceasefire deal with Hamas, in the first phase of an initiative by US President Donald Trump to end the two-year-old war.The United Nations plans to ramp up its delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where some areas are experiencing famine, in the first 60 days of a ceasefire in the enclave, a top UN official said on Thursday.An Israeli security source and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said they expect about 600 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily."Under the ceasefire arrangement, we will have more than 145 community distribution points, in addition to up to 30 bakeries and all of our nutrition sites," Ross Smith, WFP Director of Emergencies, told Reuters on Friday.The WFP expects to begin scaling up deliveries early next week, but that would depend on the withdrawal of Israeli forces so that humanitarian safe zones can be expanded.COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows into Gaza, did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.In a televised address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would stay in Gaza to ensure the territory was demilitarised and that Hamas disarmed in future stages of Trump's plan.Access to northern Gaza is critical, the WFP said, with up to 400,000 people who have not received assistance for several weeks.The agency has urged improved scanning and approval of aid convoys to speed truck entry.Unicef said 50,000 children were at risk of acute malnutrition and in need of immediate treatment. Unicef also aims to provide one million blankets for every child in Gaza and hopes to deliver wheelchairs and crutches, which it said had previously been blocked.Both Unicef and the UN Palestinian refugee relief agency UNRWA said they have yet to receive details on their roles during the ceasefire.UNRWA, which is banned from operating in Israel, has urged the Israeli authorities to allow it to take 6,000 trucks' worth of aid into Gaza, including enough food to feed the population for three months, from Jordan and Egypt."We've not had any progress to move those supplies into Gaza... and this is absolutely critical in controlling the spread of famine," Juliette Touma, the spokesperson for UNRWA, said.CARE International told Reuters on Friday it still had not received clearance for its supplies to enter as it faces ongoing registration barriers, like other agencies including the Norwegian Refugee Council."We still need clarity on how we'll be able to get supplies into Gaza that have been stuck outside for months," said Jolien Veldwijk, CARE Palestine Country Director.

A child died Tuesday from malnutrition and famine in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll from famine and malnutrition to 453, including 150 children. According to Palestinian medical sources, since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza, 175 deaths have been recorded to date, including 35 children. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are treating hundreds of people of all ages who are suffering from severe hunger and malnutrition, and are in a state of extreme stress. The medical sources noted that 17,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition, and that patients are being treated for stress and memory loss resulting from severe hunger. Hospitals lack sufficient beds and medications for the massive number of people suffering from severe malnutrition. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five doubled between March and June as a result of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. UNRWA indicated that its health centers and medical points conducted approximately 74,000 malnutrition tests for children during this period, identifying approximately 5,500 cases of global acute malnutrition and more than 800 cases of severe acute malnutrition.

Gaza Strip hospitals recorded two deaths due to famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of deaths from famine and malnutrition to 422, including 145 children.Malnutrition and starvation cases are arriving at Gaza hospitals every moment, with 900,000 children in Gaza suffering from hunger, 70,000 of whom have entered the stage of malnutrition.The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) had previously warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five has doubled between March and June, as a result of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Seven Palestinians, including two children, have been martyred in the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition afflicting Gaza residents amid the genocide war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Strip since October 7, 2023. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition in the Strip has risen to 420 martyrs, including 145 children, noting that since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in the Gaza Strip on August 22, a total of 142 deaths have been recorded, including 30 children. Of note, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen amid the blockade and shortage of food and medical supplies, as severe famine overlaps with the ongoing war that is nearing the beginning of its third year.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip recorded five deaths, including a child, due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours.Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that the total number of deaths from famine and malnutrition has risen to 404, including 141 children.Since the IPC's announcement, 126 deaths have been recorded, including 26 children.Cases of malnutrition and famine keeps arriving at hospitals in Gaza continuously, as around 900,000 children are suffering from hunger, 70,000 of whom have entered a state of malnutrition.The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five has doubled between March and June as a result of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip recorded the death of six Palestinians, including two children, due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours.This brings the total number of deaths due to famine and malnutrition to 393, including 140 children.Some 900,000 children in Gaza are suffering from hunger, 70,000 of whom have entered the malnutrition stage.UNRWA had warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five had doubled between March and June, as a result of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

There is a "narrow window" to prevent famine from spreading further in Gaza, a top UN official said Sunday, calling on Israel to allow unimpeded aid delivery in the territory, where it is fighting Palestinian resistance group Hamas.According to a global hunger monitor, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are already experiencing or at risk of famine in areas including Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban centre, where Israel has launched a new offensive against Hamas."There is a narrow window - until the end of September - to prevent famine from spreading to Deir al Balah (in central Gaza) and Khan Younis (southern Gaza). That window is now closing fast," said United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher.COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that deals with humanitarian issues, said Sunday that over the past week aid from more than 1,900 trucks, most supplying food, was distributed in Gaza.Israel last month launched an assault on the outskirts of Gaza City and its forces are now just a few kilometres from the city centre, where it issued warnings over the weekend to civilians to evacuate high rise buildings it says are being used by Hamas, before bombing them.Overnight, strikes killed 14 people across the city, local health officials said, including a strike on a school in southern Gaza City sheltering displaced Palestinians.At least 50 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip since early Sunday, as Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks continue to target various areas of the besieged enclave.Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the group would not disarm but would release all hostages if Israel ended the war and withdrew all its forces from Gaza, reiterating Hamas' long-standing position.Israel's army said it bombed a Gaza City residential tower after issuing evacuation orders, just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the military was "deepening" its assault on the Gaza Strip's key urban centre.Israel has not publicly announced the start of a major offensive to seize the city, which Netanyahu's cabinet approved last month, but the military has intensified bombings and operations in the area for weeks, in a bid to step up pressure on Hamas.Hamas has denied using residential buildings for military purposes.The high-rise was the third such residential tower to be struck in as many days.The strike on Al-Roya Tower left one person dead, the Al-Quds hospital said in a statement."We are deepening the manoeuvre on the outskirts of Gaza City and within Gaza City itself," Netanyuahu said at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting.On Friday and Saturday, the air force had levelled two other residential high-rises under the same claim that Hamas had used them as observation points.Netanyahu said that around 100,000 residents had already left Gaza City.Trump issues 'last warning' to HamasUS President Donald Trump Sunday issued what he called his "last warning" to Hamas, urging the Palestinian resistance group to accept a deal to release hostages from Gaza. "The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!"Israel's N12 News reported on Saturday that Trump has put forth a new ceasefire proposal to Hamas.Under the deal, Hamas would free all the remaining 48 hostages on the first day of the truce in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel and negotiate an end to the war during a ceasefire in the enclave, according to N12.

The World Food Programme warned Tuesday that the aid Israel is allowing to enter Gaza remains a "drop in the ocean", days after famine was formally declared in the war-torn Palestinian territory.The United Nations declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming the "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during its nearly two-year war with the Hamas.Carl Skau, WFP's chief operating officer, said that over the past two weeks, there has been a "slight uptick" in aid entering, averaging around 100 trucks per day."That's still a drop in the ocean when we're talking about assisting some 2.1 million people," Skau told AFP during a visit to New Delhi."We need a completely different level of assistance to be able to turn this trajectory of famine around."The Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said famine was affecting 500,000 people in Gaza.It defines famine as when 20 percent of households face extreme food shortages, more than 30 percent of children under five are acutely malnourished, and there is an excess mortality threshold of at least two in 10,000 people a day.Skau painted a grim picture of Gaza."The levels of desperation are so high that people keep grabbing the food off our trucks," the former Swedish diplomat said."And when we're not able to do proper orderly distributions, we're not sure that we're reaching the most vulnerable -- the women and the children furthest out in the camps," he said."And they're the ones we really need to reach now, if we want to avoid a full-scale catastrophe."But Skau also warned that Gaza was only one of many global crises, with multiple famine zones emerging simultaneously as donor funding collapses.Some 320 million people globally are now acutely food insecure - nearly triple the figure from five years ago. At the same time, WFP funding has dropped by 40 percent compared with last year."Right now, we're seeing a number of crises that, at any other time in history, would have gotten the headlines and been the top issue discussed," he said.That includes Sudan, where 25 million people are "acutely food insecure", including 10 million in what Skau called "the starvation phase"."It's the largest hunger and humanitarian crisis that we probably have seen in decades -- since the end of the 1980s with the Ethiopia famine," he said."We have 10 spots in Sudan where famine has been confirmed. It's a disaster of unimaginable magnitude."He detailed how a UN aid convoy in June tried to break the siege by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan's city of El-Fasher in Darfur, only for the truck convoy to be hit by a deadly drone attack.Neighbouring South Sudan is also struggling, he said, suggesting "there might well be a third confirmation of a famine"."That will be unprecedented", he said, citing "extremely expensive" operations in the young nation's Upper Nile state, where, with few roads, aid must be delivered by helicopters or airdrops."This is maybe the number one crisis where you have on one hand staggering needs and, frankly, no resources available", he said.At the same time, traditional donors have cut aid.US President Donald Trump slashed foreign aid after taking office, dealing a heavy blow to humanitarian operations worldwide."We are in a funding crunch, and the challenge here is that the needs keep going up", Skau said.While conflict is the "main driver" of rising hunger levels, other causes include "extreme weather events due to climate change" and the economic shock of trade wars."Our worry is that we are now cutting from the hungry to give to the starving," he said.Skau said the organisation was actively seeking new donors."We're engaging countries like India, Indonesia, Brazil, and others, beyond the more traditional donors, to see how they can also assist".