Sudan’s ongoing conflict, now entering its second year, has plunged the nation into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies, with its agricultural and pastoralist communities bearing some of the heaviest consequences. Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have disrupted livelihoods across the Sahelian nation, exacerbating preexisting vulnerabilities and triggering ripple effects across regional economies.
In western Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions, pastoralism—a lifeline for millions and a cultural cornerstone of the Sahel—has been crippled by violence. Herders, who traditionally traverse borders to sustain livestock, now face blocked migration routes and rampant insecurity. Many have fled to neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic, under protections outlined in the African Union’s 2022 Transboundary Pastoralism Agreements. These frameworks, designed to facilitate cross-border livestock movement, have offered a lifeline to displaced communities. Yet for those unable to leave, the collapse of pastoral economies has deepened food shortages and heightened risks for women and girls. Reports from Sudanese outlet Dabanga cite rising incidents of domestic violence, child marriage, and forced unions as families grapple with dwindling resources.
The agricultural heartland of El Gezira State, once a hub for sorghum, cotton, and wheat, has similarly been upended. Farmers in the Managil region, south of Khartoum, report catastrophic declines in crop yields since RSF forces seized control of Wad Madani, the state capital, in late 2023. The paramilitary group’s occupation has halted distributions of seeds and fertilizers, traditionally provided as payment for harvests, while erratic rainfall and flooding have further devastated fields.
Hussein Saad, a representative of the Gezira and Managil Farmers’ Association, described a stark deterioration in conditions. Fertilizer costs have surged sixfold, he said, while plowing expenses tripled, forcing many to abandon portions of their land. Compounding these challenges, the RSF has imposed a harvest tax of 60,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $1,270) per farmer, with penalties reaching 1.75 million pounds ($37,000) for nonpayment. “Even before the war, water management was a struggle,” Saad noted, “but now, survival is the priority.”
The dual collapse of agriculture and pastoralism has left millions reliant on dwindling humanitarian aid, with the UN warning of potential famine. Meanwhile, regional stability hangs in the balance: Sudan’s crisis threatens to disrupt cross-border trade and migration patterns critical to Sahelian economies. As international responses lag, communities brace for prolonged hardship, their resilience tested by a conflict with no end in sight.
