War-ravaged Sudan faces catastrophic hunger crisis, says WFP
December 12, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – Conflict-torn Sudan is at a grave risk of slipping into a catastrophic hunger crisis by next year, warns the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
The UN aid agency is urgently calling for a humanitarian cessation of hostilities and unfettered access to reach millions of people trapped in conflict hotspots and avert a hunger catastrophe during the upcoming lean season.
Sudan is grappling with a deepening hunger crisis as the ongoing conflict enters its eighth month. A recent food security analysis revealed the highest levels of hunger ever recorded during the harvest season, a period typically associated with increased food availability.
If food assistance remains insufficient, conflict hotspots could face catastrophic hunger levels by May, when the lean season begins, stressed the agency.
“We urgently appeal to all parties to the conflict to allow for a humanitarian pause and unfettered access to prevent a hunger catastrophe in the lean season. Lives depend on it, but many people are trapped in areas with active fighting, making it difficult to reach them with food assistance,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP Country Director in Sudan.
Nearly 18 million people across Sudan are facing acute hunger, more than double the number recorded a year ago. Close to 5 million people are in emergency levels of food insecurity, with over three-quarters of them confined to areas with limited or no humanitarian access due to ongoing fighting.
Despite providing life-saving assistance to over five million people since the conflict began, WFP’s efforts have been hampered by restricted access to civilians in violence-stricken areas. In Khartoum, the capital, WFP only managed to reach families with food assistance once in the last three months. In Darfur, parts of the region have not received any assistance since June.
“The speed at which hunger has risen in Sudan is alarming. More and more people are struggling to meet even their basic food needs, and without significant changes, many will not be able to survive,” warned Rowe.
The escalating hunger crisis is driven by intensified conflict, macroeconomic instability, soaring food and fuel prices, and below-average agricultural production. To avert a catastrophic hunger situation, WFP calls for immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas, a humanitarian pause to allow for the delivery of aid, and a robust international response to address the underlying causes of the crisis.
(ST)