US wheat aid for over 3 million arrives in Sudan amid dire humanitarian needs

A U.S. aid shipment carrying enough wheat to help feed more than 3.2 million Sudanese for a month arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday, as the country faces a severe humanitarian crisis.

The shipment was exempted from a broader decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze foreign aid, with Washington permitting life-saving assistance, notably food, medicine, and shelter, for Sudan.

The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs posted on social media platform X: “32,550 metric tons of bulk USAID Title II wheat grain, consigned to the World Food Programme @WFP, has arrived in Port Sudan. This wheat grain will help meet the food aid needs of as many as 3,255,000 people for an entire month. Foreign assistance continues to arrive in Sudan, including humanitarian assistance.”

Some 30.4 million Sudanese, 64% of the population, require humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations. The U.N. initially planned to help nearly 21 million people, but later reduced this target to 17.3 million due to funding shortfalls.

As of May 21, the U.N.’s humanitarian response plan for Sudan had received $555.2 million, only 13.3% of the required $4.2 billion.

The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said Washington would continue to deliver humanitarian aid to Sudan.

U.N. agencies warn that aid delivery to many parts of Sudan could become impossible once seasonal heavy rains begin in late June. They are appealing for funds to pre-position assistance in targeted areas.

Food insecurity in Sudan typically worsens between late June and November, a period known as the “lean season” when food is scarcest.

Tags: Sudan, wheat, U.S., humanitarian aid, shipment