Archive June 10, 2025

The risk of famine in Sudan has extended close to the capital Khartoum, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has warned as the country’s brutal civil war grinds on into its third year.

The agency has discovered “severe” levels of hunger in the town of Jabal Awliya, some 40km (25 miles) south of Khartoum, the WFP’s Sudan representative Laurent Bukera said on Tuesday.

Speaking upon his return from a visit to Khartoum state, Bukera described “widespread destruction” in the town and other areas around Khartoum, and called for urgent international action to prevent famine.

“The needs are immense,” Bukera said from Port Sudan, describing “limited access to water, healthcare and electricity”, as well as a cholera outbreak.

“Several areas in the south of the city are at high risk of famine,” he added. “The international community must act now – by stepping up funding to stop famine in the hardest-hit areas and to invest in Sudan’s recovery.”

The WFP, which says it is assisting four million people across the country, has had to reduce food rations in areas at risk of famine to 70 percent due to a major funding shortfall.

‘Meeting basic needs critical’

The government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a battle for power since April 2023. The army took control of Khartoum in March and declared the city “completely free of rebels” in late May.

Now that WFP has access to the area and is able to make regular aid deliveries, the agency said it was doing everything it could to bring the local population back from the brink of famine.

Bukera said “the level of hunger, destitution and desperation” found in Jabal Awliya was “severe, and basically confirmed the risk of famine”.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises. Over four million have fled the country and some 10.5 million are internally displaced, according to United Nations estimates.

Bukera said that with people expected to return to heavily damaged areas like Khartoum, the pressure on already overstretched resources would intensify.

“WFP is deeply concerned, and meeting basic needs – especially food – is critical and urgent,” he said.

Famine has already been declared in five areas across Sudan, including three displacement camps near el-Fasher in the southwest.

It has been all but confirmed in el-Fasher itself, where aid agencies say a lack of access to data has prevented an official famine declaration.

Daichi Kamada scored twice as Japan rounded off their successful World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of Patrick Kluivert’s Indonesia in Osaka.

Kamada, an FA Cup winner with Crystal Palace in England this season, struck twice in Tuesday’s first half as already-qualified Japan finished their campaign as Group C winners, scoring 30 goals in their 10 matches.

Takefusa Kubo, Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino and substitute Mao Hosoya were also on target against Indonesia, who finished fourth in the group.

Kluivert’s side, who were backed by a large number of supporters who had travelled to Japan, advanced to a further round with five other teams to decide two more Asian qualifiers for next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The result matched Japan’s previous winning margin against Indonesia, which also came in a 6-0 win in 1976.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has set the ambitious target of winning the World Cup in North America.

His side will play friendlies against teams from outside Asia over the next 12 months, and Kamada is looking to learn from the experience.

“Playing against Asian teams and against the kind of European teams who will be at the World Cup is totally different,” said the 28-year-old.

“As we play these games, we will start to see a lot of areas where we need to improve. We need to come together as a team and overcome these problems when they crop up.”

Japan have already lined up away friendlies against Mexico and the US in September and will face four as yet unnamed opponents at home before the end of the year.

Moriyasu said his players need to keep improving “in all departments” and praised their attitude against Indonesia.

“The challenge for the players is to break past their limits and grow,” he said.

“They did that in training and in the game, where they were never satisfied and always looking for the next goal and the next chance, which is great to see.”

Japan lost their unbeaten qualifying record in a 1-0 defeat away to Australia last week, with coach Hajime Moriyasu fielding an experimental lineup with qualification already in the bag.

He started with two more debutants against Indonesia, handing first caps to defender Junnosuke Suzuki and winger Shunsuke Mito.

Kamada opened the scoring in the 15th minute, heading home from a Mito cross.

The Palace forward turned provider for his team’s second, combining with Kubo before the Real Sociedad man fired past Indonesia goalkeeper Emil Audero.

Indonesia lost defender Kevin Diks to injury midway through the first half, and his replacement, Yakob Sayuri, lasted only 15 minutes before he also had to go off after a clash of heads.

Kamada scored Japan’s third on the stroke of half-time, waltzing through the Indonesia defence before tucking the ball over Audero.

Morishita volleyed home at the back post in the 55th minute for his first international goal.