Conflict-Driven Food Insecurity in Sudan After the 2023 Conflict: A Systematic Review of Determinants and Barriers to Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2

Abstract Food insecurity in Sudan has escalated dramatically following the outbreak of the 2023-armed conflict, exacerbating longstanding political, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on the determinants of conflict-driven food insecurity and examines their implications for public health and progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and Google Scholar using Boolean combinations of keywords related to Sudan, food insecurity, determinants, and the 2023-armed conflict. Studies published from April 2023 onward reporting quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods findings were eligible for inclusion. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using the appropriate Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools. A narrative synthesis combined with thematic analysis was used to integrate evidence across heterogeneous study designs. Six interconnected themes emerged: conflict-driven destruction of food systems; economic collapse and hyperinflation; socio-demographic vulnerabilities; agricultural system failure; environmental and climate-related shocks; and barriers to humanitarian access and health-system functioning. Collectively, the evidence demonstrates that food insecurity in Sudan is driven by interacting systemic failures rather than isolated food shortages, undermining the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability. The findings indicate that meaningful progress toward SDG 2—particularly Targets 2.1, 2.2, and 2.4—will remain unlikely without improvements in security, humanitarian access, agricultural recovery, and macroeconomic stabilization. The review also identifies important gaps in post-2023 household- and nutrition-level evidence, limiting the effective design and targeting of interventions. Coordinated humanitarian action, strengthened surveillance systems, and integrated public health and policy responses are urgently needed to reduce food insecurity and support Sudan's long-term recovery.