'Last and Least': Gender Dimensions of Food Insecurity in Sudan

Last and Least: Gender Dimensions of Food Insecurity in Sudan is the third UN Women Gender Alert analysing how famine and conflict in Sudan are deepening gender inequalities. The report draws on field testimonies, rapid gender analysis, and data from humanitarian partners to highlight how women and girls are disproportionately affected by one of the world's worst food crises. As of late 2025, famine has been officially declared in parts of Darfur and the Nuba Mountains, with over 21 million people acutely food insecure. Female-headed households are three times more likely than male-headed ones to face extreme hunger, and 74 per cent of girls are out of school. The collapse of livelihoods, markets and health systems has exposed women and girls to intersecting risks of malnutrition, displacement and gender-based violence. Despite these conditions, women-led organisations are delivering frontline relief operating community kitchens, safe spaces and health services yet receive less than three per cent of humanitarian funding. The publication calls for urgent, gender-responsive action: prioritising women and girls in aid delivery, resourcing women-led organisations, scaling up protection and GBV prevention, and integrating gender equality across humanitarian and recovery efforts to save lives and restore dignity.

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