Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the pinnacle United Nations humanitarian officer in Sudan expressed “outrage” at the incident.
“Aid looted from a World food program “Aid convoys in Central Darfur will no longer be able to reach the most vulnerable people in need,” she said in a parcel on X, formerly Twitter.
In a separate parcelWFP called on authorities to ensure perpetrators were held accountable, stressing that “everyone must ensure the safe delivery of aid”.
Alarming situation
The attack comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, as ongoing fighting in Sudan between rival military forces has left the country on the brink of famine.
More than half of the population, about 26 million peopleis facing “crisis levels” of hunger and nearly 9.4 million people have controlled from their homes, including about 1.9 million people migrating to neighboring countries.
The situation is particularly worrying in the Darfur region, which has seen fierce fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to For UN humanitarians, the lives of 800,000 people are “at risk” as fighting rages in densely populated areas of the provincial capital El Fasher, causing widespread and lasting damage to civilians and severely disrupting the essential services they depend on.
‘Urgent’ funding needed
For their part, United Nations agencies continue to provide aid and protection to millions of people in need, despite significant challenges and uncertainties.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) together with its partners provided children and their families with safe drinking water, health services and malnutrition screening.
WFP has also scaled up its emergency response to curb the hunger crisis, double The number of people supported in 2024 is 8.7 million.
However, agencies report a need for additional funding along with unfettered access to prevent hunger during the lean season that has now begun.
As of June 24, 2024, the $2.7 billion Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024, which aims to provide life-saving assistance to 14.7 million people across the country, was only 16.6 percent funded, with $447.4 million received.
