Sudan on brink of "world's largest hunger crisis" — UN

UN's World Food Program [WFP] has sounded the alarm about the situation in Sudan, saying the African country is on the brink of becoming the "world's largest hunger crisis", per Reuters.

Leni Kinzli, WFP's spokesperson in Sudan, said on Friday at a virtual news conference that the agency is "warning that time is running out to prevent starvation" and that the escalation of clashes in El Fasher is hindering humanitarian assistance efforts in the region.

"One year of this devastating conflict in Sudan has created an unprecedented hunger catastrophe and threatens to ignite the world's largest hunger crisis," she said, adding that food aid is limited in El Fasher and Darfur regions due to the "fighting and endless bureaucratic hurdles."

Kinzli mentioned that they are attempting to reach 700,000 people before the start of the rainy season, while roads are still usable and they have 8,000 tons of food stock in Chad, but distribution is hindered due to constraints.

Highlighting WFP's urgent need for unhindered access and security guarantees, she emphasised that the escalating conflict in El Fasher is deeply affecting the 1.7 million people already suffering from hunger.

Noting that about 28 million people in Sudan and South Sudan are facing food insecurity, she called on the international community to take action.

Kinzli further reminded the parties in Sudan of their obligations to adhere to international humanitarian law.

The Sudanese army controls El Fasher, and it is supported by armed movements that signed the Juba peace agreement with the government in 2020.

The war in Sudan broke out on April 15, 2023, over disagreements about integrating the Rapid Support Forces [RSF] into the army between army General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Estimates suggest that nearly 16,000 people have been killed in the violence, and around 2 million people fled the country, mainly to Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and Central African Republic.

Around 8.5 million were displaced internally.

Many rounds of negotiations have been held — mostly mediated by Saudi Arabia and the US — but failed to yield any results or cessation of hostilities.