Geneva: United Nations agencies issued a dire warning on Friday, stating that the people of Sudan are facing an “imminent risk of famine”, as the country grapples with over a year of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to a joint statement by U.N. chiefs, including Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, approximately 18 million Sudanese are already experiencing acute hunger, with 3.6 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.
“The clock is ticking for millions of Sudanese who stand on the brink of famine, displaced from their homes, living amidst bombardments, and lacking access to humanitarian aid,” the statement emphasized.
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The conflict erupted in Khartoum in April 2023 before spreading rapidly across the nation, reigniting ethnic tensions in the western Darfur region and triggering the largest displacement crisis globally, with millions forced to flee.
“Without swift and substantial intervention, we are on the verge of a catastrophic scenario: widespread famine gripping large swathes of the country,” warned the statement, co-signed by U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths.
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The conflict stemmed from long-standing tensions regarding the integration of the RSF into the army. The U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide recently highlighted the risk of genocide in parts of Darfur.
In March, a U.N.-endorsed report underscored the urgent need for immediate action to avert widespread death, the collapse of livelihoods, and a devastating hunger crisis in Sudan.
