As the conflict in Sudan stretches into its second year, the leaders of 19 global humanitarian organizations have issued a stark warning that further impediments to delivering aid “rapidly and at scale” will result in more deaths.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a grim picture for reporters in Geneva.
He cautioned that famine is poised to sweep across large parts of the country, driving more people to flee to neighboring nations, exposing children to deadly diseases and malnutrition, and subjecting women and girls to increased suffering and dangers.
Alarming Hunger Levels And Dangerous Conditions Of Aid Workers
Currently, 18 million people in Sudan are acutely hungry, with 3.6 million children severely malnourished. Laerke emphasized the peril these children face, stating they are “10 to 11 times more likely to die” than well-nourished peers.
Despite the overwhelming needs, aid workers face “systematic obstructions and deliberate denials of access by parties to the conflict,” the humanitarian agencies said in a joint statement.
Laerke highlighted that since mid-December 2023, movements across conflict lines to areas such as Khartoum, Darfur, Aj Jazirah, and Kordofan have been cut off. In March and April this year, nearly 860,000 people in these regions were denied humanitarian aid.
“Aid delivery conditions are very poor and dangerous,” Laerke added, noting that aid workers are frequently killed, injured, and harassed, while humanitarian supplies are often looted.
The situation worsened in February when the closure of the Adré border crossing from Chad to western Darfur significantly reduced aid deliveries in the region to a mere trickle.
Glimmer of Hope in Darfur
In a rare positive development, UN World Food Programme (WFP) trucks recently managed to enter Sudan from Chad through the Tine border crossing. The WFP reported transporting 1,200 metric tonnes of food supplies for approximately 116,000 people across Darfur.
WFP Sudan’s Leni Kinzli confirmed that convoys bound for Central Darfur’s Umshalaya and Rongatas have successfully reached their destinations. Meanwhile, a convoy heading to 12 locations in South Darfur, including displacement camps in Nyala, remains in transit.
Intensified Fighting in North Darfur
However, the situation remains dire in North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher, where conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated. Laerke warned that 800,000 civilians are bracing for an “imminent, large-scale attack.”
On Thursday, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN’s top aid official in Sudan, reported that civilians in Al Fasher are “under attack from all sides.” Medical facilities, displacement camps, and critical civilian infrastructure have been targeted, with parts of the city left without electricity and water.
In a joint statement, humanitarian agency leaders urged warring parties to protect civilians, allow humanitarian access, and agree to a nationwide ceasefire.
“We want these generals to resolve their differences without resorting to violence that kills, maims, and rapes hundreds of thousands in Sudan,” Laerke said, referring to the SAF and RSF.
Urgent Appeal for Funding
Humanitarians also expressed concern over the low levels of funding for the crisis. They called on donors to urgently disburse pledges made at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours in Paris on April 15.
Nearly five months into the year, the $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Sudan is only 16 percent funded, underscoring the urgent need for international support to alleviate the suffering of millions caught in the conflict.
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