The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has lifted its suspension of operations in Sudan, as the fighting there threatens millions with hunger. The WFP had paused its work in the country when three staff members were killed in North Darfur on April 15 - the first day of the conflict between Sudan’s army and a paramilitary unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said in a statement Monday that the UN food agency was immediately lifting the temporary suspension of operations put in place after the tragic deaths of its three team members. Most humanitarian aid agencies and organizations had suspended their operations in Khartoum and other states, and evacuated their international staff outside of Sudan.
The WFP said distribution of food is expected to commence in the states of Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala and White Nile in the coming days to provide the life-saving assistance that many so desperately need right now, while noting that the “security situation is still highly precarious”.
“We will take utmost care to ensure the safety of all our staff and partners as we rush to meet the growing needs of the most vulnerable”, McCain said.
The WFP noted that more than 15 million people faced severe food insecurity in Sudan before the conflict began, and said it expects the number “to grow significantly as the fighting continues.”
On Sunday, the warring sides in the Sudan conflict have bowed to international pressure and said that the cease-fire agreement that was set to expire at midnight would be extended for another 72 hours. The warring parties have announced a series of cease-fires, but none held for long.
A truce was already in place but was widely ignored by both sides. The cease-fire was established by the two warring factions to allow people safe passage and to open up a means for the country to receive humanitarian aid, but the violence continued. Each side blamed the other for the infractions.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres has dispatched the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, to Sudan to assess the situation there. Griffiths has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to travel to Sudan on Tuesday.
“We once again urge all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow safe passage for civilians fleeing areas of hostilities, respect humanitarian workers and assets, facilitate relief operations, and respect medical personnel, transport and facilities”, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a written statement Sunday, announcing the decision.
The humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate as finding necessities, like food and water, has become almost impossible. More than two-thirds of hospitals in areas of active fighting are shut down due to attacks and a lack of medical supplies, staff, water and electricity.
Prior to departing for the region, Griffiths, the UN humanitarian chief, said in a statement Sunday that the humanitarian situation in Sudan “is reaching breaking point”.
"Goods essential for people’s survival are becoming scarce in the hardest-hit urban centers, especially Khartoum, and families are struggling to access water, food, fuel and other critical commodities. The cost of transportation out of worst-hit areas has risen exponentially, leaving the most vulnerable unable to locate to safer areas”, Griffiths said.
He stressed that the United Nations and its partners were doing their best to reboot the humanitarian response in the country.
“The scale and speed of what is unfolding in Sudan is unprecedented. We are extremely concerned by the immediate as well as long-term impact on all people in Sudan and the broader region”, the UN humanitarian chief added.
The conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary group broke out on April 15 after months of rising tensions over the country's political future and the RSF's planned integration into the national army. Tens of thousands have been displaced inside the country or are seeking safety in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan, because of the intense fighting between the military forces headed up by General Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
UN agencies says those numbers are expected to increase as the crisis escalates, warning that the consequences, which will be severe and long term, already are being felt. More than 500 people have been killed and over 4,000 others injured since the fighting erupted. Clashes have been particularly intense in Khartoum, the capital.
Humanitarian needs in Sudan were already at record levels before the situation deteriorated, with some 15.8 million people – about a third of the population – requiring humanitarian assistance. A quarter of Sudan's population - 11.7 million people - were severely food insecure. Over 3 million children under 5 currently suffered from acute malnutrition in the country, with an estimated 650,000 children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Sudan hosts about 1.2 million refugees, one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. Before the fighting started, some 3.7 million Sudanese were internally displaced, mostly in the Darfur region that has experienced a volatile security situation since 2003. More than 800,000 Sudanese had fled to neighboring countries.
Further information
Full text: Statement from WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain on lifting the temporary suspension of life-saving assistance activities in Sudan, WFP press release, May 1, 2023
https://www.wfp.org/news/statement-wfp-executive-director-cindy-mccain-lifting-temporary-suspension-life-saving-0
Full text: The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is reaching breaking point, statement by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, press release, published April 30, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-crisis-sudan-reaching-breaking-point