Sudan now "one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory": UN

Humanitarian organizations are sounding alarm over the crisis in Sudan, warning the conflict has created "one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory", ABC News reports.

Speaking at a briefing to the security council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warned of a “fast-reaching and fast-deteriorating situation of food insecurity” in Sudan following 11 months of conflict.

“It is truly the stuff of nightmares,” said Wosronu. “In Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan - which are home to 90% of people facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity - there has been no respite from the fierce fighting for 340 days.”

"Now, as the conflict rages on, Sudan is on course to become the world's worst hunger crisis. Already, 18 million people - more than one-third of the country’s population - are facing acute food insecurity."

“By all measures, the sheer scale of humanitarian needs, the numbers of people displaced and facing hunger, Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory.”

The U.N. warns that by May, parts of Darfur could face IPC Phase 5 level acute food insecurity, the highest stage on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale.

“We call this stage catastrophe,” said the U.N.

Hostilities in Sudan’s breadbasket state, Al Jazirah - which is responsible for almost half of Sudan’s wheat production - has further jeopardized the food security situation in the country.

Humanitarian organizations tell ABC News that farmers have been unable to tend to their crops and the conflict has been driving up the prices of basic commodities, some items by almost 300%. The U.N. says natural cereal production and supply of animal-sourced food like milk have also plummeted.

Without "urgent" action, children’s charity Save the Children warns almost 230,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers could die from hunger in the coming months. Over 2.9 million children are already "acutely malnourished" warns the charity, and an additional 729,000 under the age of 5 are also facing severe acute malnutrition.

“We cannot explain in greater terms the catastrophic situation,” said Wosronu. “And we cannot underscore more the need for Council action.”