In 2025, despite having the most robust famine warning systems in history, we find ourselves facing a grim reality: the official declaration of famine in both Gaza and Sudan.
These famines are human-made – driven by violent conflict, policy failures, and deliberate obstruction of access to food. With these factors combined, we are seeing globally that approximately 780,000 people are facing famine-like conditions, while a further 162 million people are living with severe hunger.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system (a neutral body made up of food security experts) was set up over 20 years ago to provide early warning systems to prevent future famines. These warning signs are meant to trigger the world into acting on behalf of the people who face starvation.
When a famine is declared (IPC Phase 5) it means that at least 20% of households in an area have an extreme lack of food – so extreme that starving to death is a possibility, and that many people (especially children) could face critical levels of malnutrition.
In Gaza, Sudan, and around the globe, conflict continues to be the leading cause of hunger. As an organization, we believe that all people are made in the image of God, and therefore have a right to food that is nutritious and sufficient to fuel a person’s daily activities.
The famines in Gaza and Sudan reveal many of the same challenges:
- Early warnings triggered pre-famine alerts, even before IPC Phase 5 was reached, yet these systems are being bypassed, obstructed, or ignored.
- Aid organizations are banned from operating, and/or are at risk of being attacked on the job.
- Children are at the highest risk of disease and death once famine conditions set in, due to their vulnerability and inability to withstand prolonged starvation.
With conflict being the main cause of famine in Gaza and Sudan, Recently, Canadian Foodgrains Bank signed onto this statement from Women, Peace and Security Network calling for a cease to the hostilities in Sudan – a call that is just as critical for the individuals living in Gaza.
In both Sudan and Gaza, Foodgrains Bank demands an immediate end to the conflict, a significant scale-up of humanitarian aid, and unrestricted access for relief organizations to serve the individuals who are paying an extreme price for this violence.
