Women-led households at triple risk of severe food insecurity in Sudan
Port Sudan – As Sudan’s humanitarian crisis deepens with escalating famine and conflict, women and girls are bearing the brunt. A new report, Gender Snapshot: Women, Food Insecurity, and Famine Risk in Sudan, reveals that female-headed households face triple the risk of severe food insecurity compared to male-headed families.
According to the Snapshot, 75 per cent of female-headed households cannot meet basic food needs, and severe food insecurity has nearly doubled in one year. Just 1.9 per cent of them are food secure, versus 5.9 per cent of male-headed households. The report also shows that 73 per cent of women nationally do not meet minimum dietary diversity, endangering maternal and child health.
The crisis is driven by systemic gender inequalities, compounded by conflict and displacement. As more women are left to head households – often due to the death or disappearance of male relatives – they face the steepest barriers to food, income, and aid.
“With conditions now at near famine thresholds in several regions in the country, it is not just a food crisis, but a gender emergency caused by a failure of gender-responsive action”, says Salvator Nkurunziza, UN Women Representative in Sudan. “Women and girls are bearing the brunt of severe food insecurity, with fewer resources, less access to aid, and greater exposure to risk.”
Across Sudan, women-led organizations (WLOs) are operating food kitchens, delivering meals, and supporting displaced families – often without adequate funding. One WLO operating in eight states has been forced to shut down over half of its kitchens due to lack of resources.
“Women are not only victims of conflict; they are also powerful agents of change,” continued Salvator Nkurunziza. “Women-led organizations are reaching last-mile communities and saving lives, yet remain underfunded and excluded from key decision-making.”
As the humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to escalate, UN Women is intensifying its support through partnerships with WLOs, providing critical incubation and mentorship to grassroots women’s groups, and ensuring their active participation in humanitarian response efforts.
UN Women urgently calls humanitarian actors and donors to:
- Prioritize female-headed households and at-risk groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and adolescent girls, in all food assistance.
- Fund and elevate women-led food support initiatives with flexible, direct, and predictable financing, and integrate women-led organizations into decision-making at all levels of the humanitarian response.
- Link food assistance to protection and recovery, including gender-based violence mitigation and women’s livelihoods.
UN Women reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Sudan and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities. UN Women urges parties to return to the negotiating table and engage in inclusive peace dialogue to restore stability and uphold human rights.
