Urgent Famine Crisis Threatens Millions in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict, UN Warns

The leaders of numerous United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations issued a dire warning on Friday: time is running out for millions of people in Sudan who face imminent risk of famine due to the country’s intensifying conflict, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

According to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the UN’s highest-level humanitarian coordination forum, an astonishing 18 million people in Sudan are now acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children suffering from acute malnutrition. The committee stated that famine is quickly approaching for millions in regions like Darfur, Kordofan, Aj Jazirah, and the capital Khartoum.

The crisis has erupted as Sudan’s bloody conflict enters its second year. Nearly 10 million people have been internally displaced, while 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. The committee decried “horrific” attacks on civilians, including sexual violence, and the systematic obstruction of humanitarian access by warring parties.

With the upcoming planting season rapidly approaching, the outlook for food production in 2024 is “bleak,” the committee warned. Without immediate action, they fear a devastating famine will take hold across large parts of the country, leading to mass displacement and untold loss of life, especially among vulnerable women and children.

The committee urgently called on all parties to the conflict to grant unimpeded humanitarian access and cease human rights abuses. Donors were also urged to rapidly disburse pledged aid, with the committee stressing that “we must deliver much more life-saving aid now” to avert catastrophe.