a $2.7 billion plan to support almost 15 million people this year less than a third financedresulting in massive shortages, which also impact local organizations leading the response.
“To prevent large-scale famine, donors must urgently scale up their financial support while using diplomatic means to advocate for opening humanitarian access.” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan.
“If that doesn’t happen, we will see an even more disastrous situation develop,” she warned.
‘Man-made crisis’
The call came a day after global food safety experts declared that after 15 months of war, famine is raging in parts of North Darfur, particularly in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people (IDP), located near the state capital, El Fasher.
Ms Nkewata-Salami said the findings reflect the gravity of the situation on the ground, noting that the people of Sudan have “suffered incessantly” since the outbreak of war between rival military powers.
“This is a man-made crisis that can be resolved if all parties and stakeholders meet their responsibilities and commitments to the populations in desperate need,” she said.
“The humanitarian community in Sudan is sounding the alarm about the unfolding hunger catastrophe and risk of famine as the conflict continues, causing displacement, disrupting basic services, destroying livelihoods and severely restricting humanitarian access.”
Record hunger, immense needs
The experts said the famine in Zamzam camp, home to some 500,000 people, was likely to last until October, while another 13 areas were at risk.
They stressed that Sudan is facing the worst levels of food security in its history. More than half of the population – 25.6 million people – are facing acute hunger. This includes more than 8.5 million people facing hunger emergencies and more than 755,000 people suffering from catastrophic conditions.
In response, humanitarian organisations have scaled up their operations in recent months, but the needs are enormous, Ms Nkewata-Salami said.
“The humanitarian community is responding on multiple fronts, including urgently moving food, nutrition and health supplies and agricultural inputs to areas at highest risk, scaling up cash assistance to communities in need, and scaling up presence where hunger is greatest,” she added.
Let the guns fall silent
“But to do this, we need to silence the guns so that humanitarian workers can reach those in need,” she said. “We urgently need a financial injection for the relief operation, as well as safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, including across borders and lines.”
Separately, a senior official at the UN refugee agency said, UN refugee agencyalso called on donors to increase their support to Sudan and end the war.
“The warning signs have been there for months. Now we have the tragic confirmation that there is famine in the North Darfur region of Sudan,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN agency’s regional refugee coordinator for the situation in Sudan.
“With horrific human rights violations, the forced displacement of more than 10 million people since the war began last year, and the lack of even the most basic services for much of the population, the world’s most urgent humanitarian catastrophe is growing and deepening every day, threatening to engulf the entire region.”
He added that as the famine in Sudan deepens, people fleeing to neighbouring countries “will arrive in increasingly precarious conditions”.
“Urgent action is critical to prevent further death and suffering,” he said.
