UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (IPS) – The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to deepen due to the ongoing Sudanese Civil War. The escalation of conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to food insecurity, with many humanitarian organizations expressing concern that hunger is being used as a means of war. In addition, the increase in violence has caused serious civilian casualties.
According to a statement by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the civil war has displaced more than 11 million people, making it one of the world’s biggest displacement challenges. Reports of widespread violations of humanitarian law around the world have hampered relief efforts, exacerbating an already-existing famine.
The World Food Program (WFP) has declared that Sudan is in a state of emergency due to famine. 25.6 million people are facing severe hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
Famine is most concentrated in the Zamzam refugee camp, which is currently one of the largest and most populated refugee camps in Sudan. “Zamzam families have been using drastic measures to survive because food is scarce. They eat ground peanut shells that are usually used to feed animals – and across the camp, parents are lamenting the deaths of malnourished children,” said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General.
Additionally, soup kitchens across Sudan have seen many closures due to limited funding and lack of humanitarian assistance. Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) spoke to journalists about the level of suffering in Sudan due to hunger, pointing out that hunger is used as a means of war by warring groups. “It is an unfunded project, even though it is the biggest emergency in the world. The war will stop when these chiefs realize that they will have to lose a lot by continuing to fight, rather than doing something sensible,” he said.
A November study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Sudan Research Group shows that the death toll has increased dramatically following the outbreak of conflict in Sudan. The report estimates that between April 2023 and June 2024, more than 61,000 people died in Khartoum province, marking a 50 percent increase over the pre-war death rate.
It is also estimated that 26,000 people died as a direct result of violence, hunger and disease are increasingly the cause of death in Khartoum. According to the report, the death toll may far exceed these figures as nearly 90 percent of all deaths in Sudan are unreported.
In addition to the damage caused by the two warring groups, small armed groups are involved in looting and attacks. “Groups destroy their houses, kill their people,” said Egeland.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed concern over the escalation of violence seen in the past few months. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, UN Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide, predicts that Sudan may face a “Rwanda-style genocide” based on current conditions. Neritu also added that there have been reports of ethnic cleansing in El Fasher.
On 26 November, WFP announced that it would increase aid to famine-stricken areas in Sudan following the Sudanese government’s approval of the Adre border.
“In total, the trucks will carry about 17,500 tons of food aid, enough to feed 1.5 million people in one month. Spokesperson for Sudan Leni Kinzli.
However, due to the ongoing violence and the urgent number of needs, additional funding is urgently needed to mitigate the humanitarian crisis. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 25 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, which is equivalent to almost half of the entire population. The UN’s 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan calls for $2.7 billion to provide life-saving assistance to more than 14 million affected people. The UN is appealing for continued donor support as only 56 percent of the required funds have been collected.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
