The Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to compound Sudan’s existing food security problems

Sudan faces a uniquely difficult set of circumstances as these disruptions loom. As with other countries in the region, wheat is a key food item for Sudan, the second only to sorghum as a source of calories, accounting for 530 calories/person/day—a fifth of the estimated 2,576 total consumed daily. Only about 15% of the wheat consumed is grown in Sudan—a share that might shrink due to rising fertilizer and energy prices; the rest is imported, with a majority sourced from Russia and Ukraine in recent years (Figure 1). Adding to these vulnerabilities, prices for wheat and fuel were already spiking before the war began, compounding the risk of rising food insecurity.

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