NEW DELHI: The United States, the European Union and 30 countries have warned of an “alarming deterioration” in food security in Sudan, calling for “urgent action” to prevent famine in the African country.
In a joint statement released by the US State Department on October 26 , the signatories called on the groups fighting Sudan’s civil war “to lift all impediments on humanitarian assistance”. The signatories included Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Commissioner or equality, preparedness and crisis management.
“Sudan is experiencing an alarming deterioration in its food security. The risk of famine in the coming months, as warned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, needs urgent action,” the statement said. “The parties to the conflict bear primary responsibility for alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people.”
Sudan’s army has beenfighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, when a dispute over how to integrate the two forces erupted into clashes in the capital, Khartoum. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 13 million, and created the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises. In June, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a United Nationsbacked hunger monitor known as the IPC, said 5.1 million people in Sudan faced severe hunger.
Farmers have struggledto harvest crops since the war began, and the IPC said a drought linked to El Nino had driven up food prices and reduced supplies this year. Acute malnutrition Without immediate action, the joint statement warned, “the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected 825,000.”
The signatories urged the warring parties to allow humanitarian operations through all routes across front lines and borders, including air access to the region of Darfur. They also called on the parties to “sustain presence and protection of humanitarian personnel” throughout Sudan and to refrain from hitting civilian infrastructure.
The unending CIVIL WAR
The war in Sudan is fought between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)—led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (Sudan’s de facto leader)—and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict stems from a power struggle over who would control the country and how the 100,000-strong RSF would be integrated into the regular army during a stalled transition to civilian rule.
Tensions escalated following the 2019 ousting of long-serving dictator Omar al-Bashir and a subsequent military coup in October 2021 that derailed democratic reforms. Estimates range from over 150,000 to more than 400,000 deaths and over 12 to 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the war began.
