UN alarmed over worsening food situation in Sudan

July 23, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is extremely alarmed by the worsening food situation in Sudan, where almost 26 million people are acutely hungry.

Emphasizing the situation, Stephane Dujarric, the official spokesperson for the Secretary General, said 750,000 people are just one step away from famine, which translates to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 5 (IPC5).

Rising food prices, access challenges, and the impact of conflict are compounding people’s limited access to food, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Last month, the price of local food increased by 16 per cent compared to May.

“It’s also 120 per cent higher than in June of last year,” Dujarric remarked.

“People’s hardship is only set to worsen as the rainy season takes hold. The Tine border crossing, which is used to transport goods from Chad into the Darfur region of Sudan, is currently impassable due to heavy rains and flooding,” he added.

According to the UN, many routes in the southern part of Sudan are also inaccessible, amid concerns that people are facing a worst-case scenario.

“The humanitarian community in Sudan urgently needs access via all possible routes to avert a further deterioration of the situation,” stressed Dujarric, adding that the Sudan humanitarian is only 30 per cent funded.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands of people since it began in mid-April last year.

According to the UN, more than 26 million people urgently need aid and are food insecure while more than 10 million civilians have been displaced internally.

(ST)