Darfur faces famine risk as food shortages and malnutrition rise
March 18, 2024 (EL FASHER) – Civil activists broadcast pictures showing the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in camps for displaced people in Darfur due to severe food shortages, leading to widespread malnutrition among children.
Although the Commissioner-General for Humanitarian Aid in Sudan, Salwa Adam Benya, doubted warnings of famine in Sudan during a brainstorming meeting with voluntary organizations in Port Sudan yesterday, activists told Sudan Tribune that the displacement camps suffer from a severe food shortage.
Amina Mohammed Abdel Rahman, the women’s official in Kalma camp for displaced people in Nyala, South Darfur, says residents haven’t received food aid since the war’s outbreak ten months ago. Women fear rape if they leave the camp for work, and most of Nyala’s residents have fled due to the war.
Adam Rijal, spokesman for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps in Darfur, told Sudan Tribune the situation is unbearable due to food shortages and rising malnutrition. He explained that both pre-war and post-war camps, including those controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement in Jebel Marra, lack aid.
Obtaining malnutrition statistics remains difficult due to the deteriorating security situation and communication breakdowns. Yesterday, the Coordination broadcast video clips showing malnourished children in Mukjar camp, Central Darfur. Similar pictures were previously published from Nirtiti camp (controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement) and Kalma and Kass camps (South Darfur). The Coordination warns of rising famine risks in the region, which is largely controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.
In February, the Sudanese government and international actors agreed to open humanitarian aid crossings through Chad and South Sudan. However, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council expressed reservations and demanded involvement in aid delivery.
The Coordination of Displaced Persons’ Camps in North Darfur issued a critical humanitarian appeal in early March for Kassab and Fata Borno camps, citing a dire security and humanitarian situation. Residents there rely on aid and corn production, which failed this season due to the war.
Commissioner-General Benya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating international aid organizations’ work. She emphasized compliance with Sudanese laws and criticized the weak international response. A donor conference in Geneva resulted in $2.6 billion in pledges, but Sudan only received a quarter of that amount last year.
Benya appealed for increased global attention to Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, emphasizing the need to reach displaced people within Sudan, asylum seekers abroad, and areas controlled by rebel groups. She reported allowing aid trucks from Chad to enter El Geneina and stressed the importance of using designated crossings. However, she acknowledged the possibility of considering new crossings based on needs and security situations, ultimately placing responsibility for protecting aid workers on the government.
(ST)