The war in Sudan continues to ravage the country, exacerbating an already catastrophic hunger crisis.
UN agencies and Member States gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday to make a renewed appeal for urgent international action to protect Sudan’s population.
“People in Sudan have endured 17 months of hell, and the suffering continues to grow,” said Joyce Msuya, the UN’s Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“Thousands of civilians have been killed, entire communities displaced and deprived of food, families scattered, children traumatized, women raped and abused.”
Joyce Msuya
Msuya emphasized the need for decisive international action, stressing that access to humanitarian aid, increased funding, and protection of civilians are essential for alleviating the devastation.
Largest Hunger Crisis on the Planet
Sudan’s war has not only led to mass displacement and death but has also triggered the world’s largest hunger crisis. According to UN officials, nearly 26 million people are now acutely hungry across Sudan.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued grave warnings, with spokesperson Leni Kinzli stating, “Without urgent assistance, hundreds of thousands could die.”
At a briefing in Geneva, the WFP highlighted the dire situation, pointing to famine in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp as an indicator of how much worse things could get.
The situation is particularly alarming for vulnerable populations, with nearly five million children and pregnant or breastfeeding women suffering from acute malnutrition. Humanitarian agencies fear that other areas may soon see the same fate unless immediate action is taken.
In addition to hunger, Sudan’s collapsing healthcare system has led to a surge in preventable diseases. Cholera and other infectious diseases are spreading rapidly among the malnourished, whose immune systems have been severely weakened.
“Health care and basic services have been decimated,” the UN warned, adding that many children have now missed school for two consecutive years, further deepening the crisis.
A Struggling Relief Effort
Despite some efforts to secure aid access through negotiations led by the US and partners such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the delivery of life-saving assistance remains severely hampered.
Humanitarian organizations face significant challenges, including restricted access and chronic underfunding. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), of the $2.7 billion required to aid 14.7 million people in Sudan by the year’s end, only 49 percent has been funded.
The UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) appeal for $1.5 billion to help 3.3 million Sudanese refugees across seven neighboring countries has fared worse, with just 25 percent of the required funds secured.
As the crisis deepens, aid agencies struggle to scale up their operations. Speaking on behalf of UNHCR, Filippo Grandi emphasized the strain on Sudan’s neighbors.
“Countries neighboring Sudan are generously hosting a rising number of refugees, but cannot shoulder that responsibility alone. People need humanitarian aid now and support to rebuild their lives.”
Filippo Grandi
“For over 500 days, the Sudanese people have been bearing the brunt of this war, feeling forgotten and abandoned by the world,” said WFP’s Leni Kinzli. She called for increased global efforts to stave off mass starvation and protect the country’s vulnerable population, underscoring the need for unity in addressing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The ministerial-level discussions at the UN General Assembly are expected to focus on these urgent issues. Co-hosted by OCHA, UNHCR, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US, the African Union, and the European Union, the meeting will explore ways to increase support for the Sudanese people and push for a peaceful resolution to the war.
