Urgent UN Warning as Sudan Faces Catastrophic Famine Risks
The UN has warned of a looming famine in Sudan, affecting over 600,000 people, particularly in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. Despite ongoing violence, the UN’s rights chief calls for immediate action to mitigate the humanitarian crisis and restore agriculture. Over 12 million people are displaced, with 30.4 million in need of aid as cholera outbreaks worsen, severely impacting health and sanitation across the country.
The United Nations has raised urgent warnings regarding the severe famine threatening Sudan, where over 600,000 individuals are on the brink of starvation. UN human rights chief Volker Turk has indicated that famine conditions have been recorded in five regions, particularly affecting the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur. Due to escalating violence, both the World Food Programme (WFP) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have been compelled to halt operations in these critical areas.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Turk described Sudan as being in a precarious situation, potentially exacerbated by famine in an additional five regions within the next quarter. He categorized the crisis as the “world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe,” highlighting the urgent need for measures to stop the ongoing conflict, facilitate emergency aid delivery, and revive agricultural productivity.
The ongoing conflict, which ignited in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and enkindled the “biggest displacement crisis in the world,” displacing over 12 million people. Turk cautioned that actions taken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to exert control in certain areas could deepen societal divisions and prolong hostilities, thereby heightening the number of people requiring aid to an estimated 30.4 million.
The humanitarian health infrastructure is critically compromised, with fewer than 30 percent of medical facilities operational and widespread disease outbreaks in displacement camps. In addition, cholera cases have surged in White Nile, claiming at least 70 lives and infecting over 2,200, attributed to disruptions in access to clean water following an attack on local infrastructure. According to Mohamed Abdiladif, Save the Children’s country director for Sudan, children are enduring an unrelenting cycle of violence, disease, and malnutrition, suffering devastating consequences.
The situation in Sudan is dire as famine looms over the population amidst ongoing violence. With critical humanitarian efforts suspended and millions requiring urgent assistance, the international community is called upon to intervene before conditions worsen further. This crisis underscores the necessity for immediate action to provide relief and stabilize the region to prevent mass starvation and further humanitarian catastrophe.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
