Sudan

Sudan faces imminent famine and humanitarian crisis - report

People fleeing the violence in West Darfur, Sudan, cross the border into the Adre area of Chad on August 4, 2023. (Photo: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)

By Hanifa Adan | Saturday, June 1, 2024

In Al Fasher, over 800,000 civilians are bracing for a large-scale attack, which could have catastrophic humanitarian consequences across Darfur.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has warned that time is running out for millions of people in Sudan who are at imminent risk of famine amid ongoing conflict and displacement.

According to the IASC, 18 million people are acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children, as the conflict now enters its second year. "Famine is closing in on large populations in Darfur, Kordofan, Aj Jazirah, and Khartoum," the IASC stated.

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Sudan is currently home to nearly 10 million internally displaced people, the highest number in the world. Additionally, 2 million people have fled to neighbouring countries to escape the violence. The situation has deteriorated with horrific attacks against civilians, including sexual violence, and bombings of hospitals and schools.

In Al Fasher, over 800,000 civilians are bracing for a large-scale attack, which could have catastrophic humanitarian consequences across Darfur. Aid workers face systematic obstructions, and deliberate denials of access by parties to the conflict have made it nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance.

Since mid-December, movements across conflict lines to parts of Khartoum, Darfur, Aj Jazirah, and Kordofan have been cut off. The closure of the Adre border crossing in February has further restricted aid to Darfur. In March and April, nearly 860,000 people were denied humanitarian aid in Kordofan, Darfur, and Khartoum.

"Extreme hunger is unfolding, and the outlook for food production in 2024 is bleak," stated the IASC Principals. "We have a rapidly shrinking window to get seeds to farmers before the main planting season ends and the rainy season begins. Without immediate action, people will go hungry and be forced to move in search of food, shelter, and protection."

The IASC Principals have issued urgent requests to the parties in conflict, calling for the protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, and the cessation of actions that deny or obstruct aid. They also stress the need to simplify and expedite procedures for delivering humanitarian assistance, de-escalate the situation in Al Fasher, and implement a nationwide ceasefire.

Additionally, the statement urges the cessation of human rights violations and accountability for perpetrators.

The appeal also highlights the lack of donor support. "Nearly five months into the year, we've received just 16 percent of the $2.7 billion needed," the statement said, urging donors to disburse pledges made at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbors in Paris on April 15 and fast-track additional funding.

"If we are prevented from providing aid rapidly and at scale, more people will die," warned the IASC Principals.