Sudan Expels Two Senior UN World Food Programme Officials

28 October 2025

WFP Country Director Laurent Bukera in Sudan

October 28, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s government on Tuesday expelled two top officials from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), declaring them personae non gratae amid tensions over reports of widespread hunger.

The foreign ministry informed WFP Country Director Laurent Bukera and head of operations Samantha Katraj that they were considered “undesirable persons,” the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.

SUNA said the ministry had summoned the pair and ordered them to leave the country within 72 hours.

The state news agency did not give a reason for the expulsion, but the government has suggested that many international aid organisations are not complying with local laws. The government also regularly denies reports from international bodies about famine in the country, saying they lack credibility.

According to SUNA, the government stated it was committed to cooperating with all international organizations in Sudan, based on international norms and respect for state sovereignty. It stressed that the decision would not affect its cooperation with the WFP.

The expulsion comes days after the WFP highlighted a dire humanitarian situation.

In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, the agency said more than 70% of communities in Sudan’s Blue Nile state are facing crisis levels of hunger.

A WFP report published on Oct. 24 said the country’s health system was facing collapse due to simultaneous outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever and measles. The agency said it provided aid to 4.2 million people in September, including 1.8 million in areas facing or threatened by famine.

On Oct. 23, the foreign ministry summoned a representative for the UN humanitarian coordinator, Gemma Sanmartin, to object to a report by the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA), saying it contained false information about the government’s efforts to facilitate relief work.