Sudan’s Darfur faces driest rainy season in four decades, says WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that Sudan's Darfur region is facing its driest rainy season in four decades, due to climate change exacerbating famine conditions amidst a brutal ongoing war. The rainy season, which runs from June to September, has been particularly harsh, with WFP deputy chief Carl Skau noting that almost everywhere he visited, residents were primarily concerned about the severe drought.

Darfur, already suffering from decades of conflict, has been the epicenter of some of the most violent confrontations during the current war, which has resulted in over 200,000 fatalities. The region is home to 5.6 million displaced people, many of whom are facing acute hunger. Typically, the rainy season transforms much of the region into a lush landscape due to overflowing valleys and seasonal rivers, providing vital irrigation for agriculture that helps prevent starvation.

However, this year's rainy season has been the driest on record, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. Local responders across Darfur have warned that the drought is triggering fresh waves of displacement and the collapse of local agriculture. The Emergency Response Room in North Darfur's Kutum has also raised alarms about a mounting crisis affecting livestock and livelihoods, primarily due to the scarcity of rainfall and the absence of water and grazing land.

Even prior to the war, Darfur often experienced deadly disputes over water sources between rival groups. The diminishing rainfall over Sudan and eastern Africa, linked to the El Nino climate pattern, has led to lower water levels in the Nile River, threatening Sudan's ongoing planting season and further jeopardizing food security while nearly 20 million people are already grappling with crisis-level hunger.