WFP condemns theft of food from Gezira State warehouse

January 2, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has strongly condemned the looting of food supplies from its premises in Gezira State.

Last weekend’s incident, the agency said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, occurred after elements of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke into its warehouse and office, following their takeover of Wad Medani.

The warehouse reportedly contained enough stocks to feed nearly 1.5 million severely food insecure people for one month in Gezira State, where a new offensive has forced more than 300,000 people to again run for their lives.

“Sudanese people who are already desperate and fleeing the fighting have now been robbed of the critical assistance they need. This is intolerable and must stop,” said Michael Dunford, WFP Regional Director for Eastern Africa.

He added, “In areas under their control, the Rapid Support Forces must guarantee the protection of humanitarian assistance, staff and premises”.

The WFP warehouse, WFP noted, contained more than 2,500 metric tons of life-saving food, including pulses, sorghum, vegetable oil and nutrition supplements.

The specialized nutritious foods were intended to prevent and support malnutrition treatment for more than 20,000 children and pregnant and breastfeeding women through WFP-supported health centers, the agency said.

The incident, WFP said, forced it to temporarily pause distributions in Gezira state.

The agency, however said, it has embarked on some food distributions in states further to the east, where people fleeing Gezira are currently seeking refuge.

WFP operations are a lifeline to nearly one million desperate people in Gezira state and the looting of premises undermines our operations at a time when nearly 18 million people are facing acute hunger, WFP stressed in the statement.

Since conflict erupted in Sudan in mid-April last year, WFP said it has supported more than 5.6 million people in 17 of the 18 states across Sudan with food and nutrition assistance.

(ST)