Talks on the ongoing war in Sudan are set to begin in Switzerland on Wednesday, with talks set to focus on humanitarian aid for the millions of people starving and displaced by the brutal conflict.
The US has invited both sides in the war to Switzerland for talks. Where exactly they will begin on Wednesday remains secret for security reasons.
In the African country, south of Egypt, a power struggle has been raging between the army and paramilitary militias since April 2023.
Experts say famine is already raging in the North Darfur region, where hundreds of thousands have sought refuge. The UN is calling it the world’s largest refugee crisis and a humanitarian disaster.
Many areas of the country are inaccessible to humanitarian workers because of the war, and the United Nations says more than 25 million people are at risk of hunger.
The US has invited military and militia representatives, but it is uncertain whether they will attend. If they do not come, technical experts will discuss how to improve access for humanitarian organizations.
The fighting has displaced more than 10 million people in the country, while others have fled across the border.
According to the UN, both sides in the conflict are blocking access for aid convoys.
Another problem is that the UN’s donation campaign, which totals $2.7 billion this year, has so far provided about a third of the funding needed.
German charity Welthungerhilfe is calling for humanitarian corridors in the country amid growing famine.
“The world’s largest humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Sudan,” the charity’s secretary general, Matthias Mogge, said ahead of the talks.
More than 25 million people – half the population – are “in a critical food situation, and 755,000 people are at acute risk of starvation,” he added.
