The United Nations has issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing obstruction of humanitarian agencies’ efforts to deliver aid to those in need in Sudan, noting that famine is “imminent” if the situation persists.
19 leaders of global humanitarian organizations, including twelve affiliated with the UN, have cautioned that continuing to impede the swift and broad delivery of aid to those in need in Sudan will result in “more deaths.” They called on all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian access, and work towards a ceasefire.
In this context, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated that famine could spread across large parts of Sudan, leading to more people fleeing to neighboring countries and increasing incidences of disease and malnutrition among children.
During a press conference in Geneva today, Laerke highlighted that approximately 18 million people in Sudan are already facing severe hunger, wit
h 3.6 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.
Laerke pointed out that “movement across conflict lines to parts of Khartoum, Darfur, Al Jazirah, and Kordofan has been halted since mid-December last year.” He added that in March and April of this year, nearly 860,000 people in these regions were deprived of humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, Leni Kinzli, spokesperson for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan, confirmed that convoys headed to central Darfur have reached their final destinations. However, convoys destined for 12 locations in the southern region, including displacement camps in Nyala, are still en route.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, now in its second year as of mid-April, has resulted in the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Source: Qatar News Agency