The Sudanese Alliance for Rights expresses grave alarm over mounting international warnings that escalating tensions and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz could trigger catastrophic humanitarian consequences for Sudan at a time when millions of civilians are already enduring one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
For more than three years, Sudanese civilians have lived under relentless violence, displacement, hunger, economic collapse, and the destruction of livelihoods caused by the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. Today, another looming disaster stands before the Sudanese people; one that threatens to deepen starvation, destroy the agricultural season, and condemn millions more to suffering.
For decades, Sudan’s agricultural sector has depended heavily on imported agricultural inputs, including fertilisers transported through global maritime trade routes linked to the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz. As one of the world’s most strategic shipping corridors, the Strait serves as a critical passage for fuel, fertilisers, and other essential commodities exported from Gulf countries to markets across Africa. Sudan’s farming sector, already weakened by years of conflict, economic instability, and disrupted domestic production, has increasingly relied on these imports to sustain cultivation during the crucial June to November planting season. Any disruption along this route, therefore, carries direct consequences for Sudanese farmers, food production systems, market prices, and the broader survival of millions of civilians dependent on agriculture for both livelihood and food security.
According to media interviews and international reporting, senior humanitarian officials, development experts, and agricultural analysts have cautioned that any prolonged instability affecting the Strait of Hormuz could trigger devastating consequences for food-insecure and conflict-affected countries, including Sudan.
Among those raising alarm, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), warned in international media interviews that disruptions to global supply chains and restrictions affecting the movement of fuel and fertilisers risk pushing already vulnerable populations closer to famine conditions. He stressed that fragile states dependent on imports for agricultural production could face severe humanitarian fallout if trade routes remain unstable.
Reuters reporting further highlighted warnings from development and economic analysts who cautioned that continued regional escalation could sharply increase fuel prices, disrupt fertiliser deliveries, and deepen food insecurity across countries already experiencing conflict and economic collapse. Experts warned that the effects would be particularly severe for countries like Sudan, where agricultural systems have already been weakened by war, displacement, and collapsing infrastructure.
Associated Press reporting also documented growing fears among Sudanese farmers and agricultural experts, some of whom described the situation as a “dangerous chain reaction” unfolding at the worst possible time — just as communities prepare for the June to November planting season. Farmers warned that shortages in fertilisers and rising transportation costs could drastically reduce cultivation, worsen harvest yields, and leave millions at greater risk of hunger in the months ahead.
These warnings are not speculative fears. They are urgent alarms issued by humanitarian leaders, economic analysts, and Sudanese communities witnessing the deepening vulnerability of a population already pushed to the brink by war.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights warns that continued regional escalation risks accelerating a deadly chain reaction across Sudan: rising fuel prices, collapsing agricultural production, worsening hunger, increased displacement, and further economic devastation. In a country where millions are already dependent on humanitarian assistance, the consequences could be catastrophic and irreversible.
We therefore call upon all parties involved in the escalating conflict affecting the Strait of Hormuz to immediately pursue de-escalation and refrain from actions that threaten civilian survival and global humanitarian stability. The protection of civilian populations and the uninterrupted passage of essential goods, including food supplies, fuel, fertilisers, and humanitarian assistance, must be prioritised above military and political interests.
We further call upon the international community, including the United Nations, the African Union, the League of Arab States, humanitarian agencies, donor governments, and influential regional actors, to urgently act to prevent Sudan from descending into even deeper famine and economic collapse.
The world must not wait until images of starving Sudanese children dominate headlines before action is taken.
The international community must also recognise that Sudan’s suffering cannot be separated from the ongoing war inside the country itself. There can be no sustainable food security, economic recovery, or human dignity while bombs continue to fall, civilians continue to be displaced, and humanitarian access remains obstructed.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights therefore reiterates its urgent call for:
• An immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities across Sudan by all parties to the conflict, and an end to attacks targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, markets, farms, hospitals, humanitarian workers, and displacement camps;
• Renewed, credible, and inclusive peace efforts that prioritise civilian protection, accountability, and meaningful participation of Sudanese civil society, including women, youth, human rights defenders, and community-led initiatives working toward sustainable peace;
• The urgent removal of all restrictions obstructing humanitarian access, including bureaucratic impediments, attacks on aid operations, and denial of access to populations trapped in conflict-affected areas, to ensure life-saving assistance reaches those most in need without discrimination or delay;
• Immediate international measures to stabilise food and agricultural supply chains critical to Sudan’s survival, including coordinated efforts to safeguard the delivery of fuel, fertilisers, seeds, and humanitarian commodities ahead of and throughout the crucial June to November planting season;
• Protection of international maritime trade routes and civilian supply corridors necessary for the transport of essential goods, in accordance with international law and humanitarian obligations, to prevent further economic and food security shocks across vulnerable countries;
• Increased humanitarian and financial support for Sudanese communities already facing famine-like conditions, displacement, collapsing healthcare systems, and severe economic hardship, particularly in regions hardest hit by conflict and food insecurity;
• Stronger regional and international diplomatic engagement aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Gulf region and preventing broader geopolitical conflicts from further devastating already fragile populations across Africa and the Middle East;
• Accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed against Sudanese civilians, and meaningful international action to ensure that impunity does not continue to fuel suffering and instability.
History will judge harshly those who remained silent while clear warnings of famine and collapse were repeatedly ignored.
The Sudanese people do not need more statements of concern after a disaster strikes. They need urgent action now.
As regional tensions continue to grow, we remind the world that behind every forecast, every statistic, and every warning are millions of human lives hanging in the balance.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights,
21/05/2026.
