Author: Al Jazeera Staff
Published on: 04/05/2026 | 00:00:00

AI Summary:
An Al Jazeera digital investigation using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) reveals the devastating toll of the war on Sudan’s largest irrigated farming projects in the central states of Gezira, Sennar, and Khartoum. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4Inside war-hit Sudan’s only functioning hospital curing tropical diseases list 2 of 4Nearly eight million people in South Sudan at risk of acute hunger. Agricultural collapse during RSF control in 2024 followed by a fragile, limited recovery after the SAF regained territory in 2025. The Gezira Scheme was the agricultural backbone of Sudan for decades. A 50kg bag of fertiliser skyrocketed from 20,000 Sudanese pounds ($33) to 120,000 ($200), while tractor rental prices tripled. Armed fighters looted the national seed bank and drained World Food Programme warehouses in Wad Madani that had held enough food to sustain 1.5 million people for a month. Similar devastation was recorded in Rahad and Suki Schemes located in Sennar and Gedaref states. NDVI data from December 2025 showed a notable improvement in crop health across the Gezira, Rahad, and Suki Schemes. The return of geometric green grids indicates that farmers cautiously resumed planting. This aligns with an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. By late 2025, the IPC noted that 3.4 million people were no longer in crisis levels. 126 large industrial facilities and 3,131 small factories in Gezira state were severely damaged. Khartoum’s industrial zones remain in ruins, with nearly 3,200 facilities destroyed.

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