Satellite imagery reveals how Sudan war has ravaged the country's breadbasket

Sudan's civil war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, has not only caused a humanitarian tragedy but also destroyed the country's agricultural backbone. A digital investigation by Al Jazeera using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the NDVI vegetation index has exposed the extent of damage to Sudan's largest irrigation projects in Gezira, Sennar and Khartoum states.

The fertile fields of central Sudan, long considered the nation's breadbasket, have been heavily damaged. The geometric green plots that once defined the key agricultural zone have turned to barren, arid brown.

Fighting began in the capital Khartoum and quickly spread. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) advanced into central and eastern Sudan by late 2023, including Gezira, Sennar and Khartoum states. Satellite data reveals a catastrophic collapse of agriculture during the period of RSF control in 2024, followed by a weak recovery when the army regained control in 2025.

The collapse of the Gezira scheme

The Gezira irrigation scheme, long the agricultural backbone of Sudan, spans 924,000 hectares between the Blue Nile and White Nile. After the RSF captured Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira state, in December 2023, the agricultural system disintegrated. Wheat production in Gezira dropped by 58% in the 2023-2024 season.

According to independent assessments, this decline results from the systematic destruction of agricultural infrastructure. RSF fighters diverted irrigation canals, flooded farmland, and even used crop bags as makeshift bridges across canals. The al-Haiwawa canal, a lifeline serving 2,360 farmers in 48 villages, was among the most severely damaged.

The economic impact has been enormous: the price of a 50-kg bag of fertilizer rose from 20,000 to 120,000 Sudanese pounds (from $33 to $200), and tractor rental costs tripled. RSF fighters also looted the national seed store and the World Food Programme (WFP) food warehouse in Wad Madani, which contained enough food to feed 1.5 million people for a month. A telecoms blackout imposed by the RSF in early 2024 forced 200 out of 300 local charity kitchens to close.

Similar devastation occurred at the Rahad and Suki projects in Sennar and Gedaref states. Under RSF control throughout 2024, crop health in these two areas deteriorated severely.

Satellite data analysis and fragile recovery

To measure the extent of destruction, investigators distinguished actual crops from wild weeds. In planned irrigation zones like Gezira, agriculture depends on human coordination: operating pumping stations, opening water gates and applying fertilizer. When the system works, satellite imagery shows clear geometric green plots. When the system collapses, chaotic patches of green and brown appear, signaling abandoned land.

Satellite data shows a direct correlation between military control and food security. In November 2024, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured Singa (Sennar state) and Wad Madani in January 2025. By March 2025, the army controlled most of the two states. NDVI data from December 2025 recorded a significant improvement in crop health at the Gezira, Rahad and Suki projects, though still below pre-war levels.

A previous report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that 25.6 million people (half of Sudan's population) face acute food insecurity, including 755,000 people in catastrophic hunger. By the end of 2025, the IPC noted that 3.4 million people had moved out of the crisis phase, thanks to gradual stability in Gezira, Sennar and Khartoum after the RSF withdrawal.

The Khartoum control group and industrial devastation

To rule out weather factors, investigators used Khartoum state as a 'control group'. Khartoum shares the same climate and rainfall as Gezira, but the SAF only declared full control in May 2025. Satellite imagery of four major agricultural projects around the capital shows no significant recovery in 2025, with fields still barren and overgrown with weeds. This indicates that security stability alone is insufficient; farmers need a stable growing season to repair canals, find seeds and harvest.

Beyond the fields, the war has also destroyed industrial infrastructure. According to Sudan's Minister of Industry Mahasin Ali Yagoub, 126 large industrial facilities and 3,131 small factories in Gezira state were severely damaged. While some factories in Wad Madani saw limited reconstruction in early 2026, industrial zones in Khartoum remain in ruins with nearly 3,200 facilities destroyed and no sign of recovery.

For the millions of Sudanese who depend on these lands for survival, returning to the fields is overshadowed by the scale of loss. Although satellite imagery shows the geometric green plots gradually returning, the scars of looted infrastructure and submerged canals remain a haunting reminder of a breadbasket pushed to the brink of famine.