The Hollowed Earth
How the prolonged conflict in Sudan is affecting children and their families
New report - The Hollowed Earth - reveals how Sudan's conflict is degrading the land that feeds its children
Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis. But beyond the headlines of conflict, displacement, and hunger, a less visible crisis is unfolding: the collapse of the agricultural systems that once sustained millions of children and their families.
The Hollowed Earth, a new report from World Vision, combines satellite imagery analysis, humanitarian data, and testimonies from affected families to examine how three years of conflict have reshaped Sudan's agricultural landscape and intensified the country's hunger crisis. The report reveals that conflict, displacement, damaged infrastructure, and climate pressures are driving the loss of productive farmland and undermining food systems across the country.
The findings show that at least 38,918 km² of arable land - an area roughly the size of Switzerland - has been degraded or lost since the conflict began. The destruction of farmland, irrigation systems, storage facilities, and trade routes is reducing agricultural production and contributing to worsening hunger and malnutrition in communities that once relied on farming for survival.
Children are paying the highest price. More than 26 million children live in Sudan, while millions face hunger, displacement, disrupted education, disease, and growing protection risks. The report highlights how families forced from productive agricultural areas are increasingly being pushed into fragile environments where access to food, water, livelihoods, and essential services is limited.
But The Hollowed Earth is more than a warning. It sets out practical recommendations to help prevent further deterioration, including scaling up humanitarian funding, restoring agricultural systems and local markets, improving humanitarian access, and investing in climate resilience and long-term recovery. These actions are vital not only to address immediate needs but also to protect the future of a generation of Sudanese children.
