ONE $2.7 billion plan to support nearly 15 million people this year is less than a third are fundedleading to a huge shortage, affecting local organizations at the forefront of the response.
“To prevent widespread famine from occurring, donors must urgently scale up financial support while using diplomacy to promote expanded humanitarian access,” speak Clementine Nkweta-Salami, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan.
“Otherwise, we will see a more catastrophic situation unfold,” she warned.
‘Man-made crisis’
The call comes a day after global food security experts declare that after 15 months of war, famine has raged in parts of North Darfur, particularly in the Zamzam refugee camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), located near the state capital El Fasher.
Ms Nkewata-Salami said the findings reflected the gravity of the situation on the ground, noting that the Sudanese people had “suffered unrelentingly” since the war broke out between the rival military forces.
“This is a man-made crisis, one that can be resolved if all parties and stakeholders fulfill their responsibilities and commitments to the people who are in dire need of help,” she said.
“The humanitarian community in Sudan has sounded the alarm about the ongoing famine disaster and the risk of famine as conflict continues, causing displacement, disruption of basic services, destruction of livelihoods and severely limiting humanitarian access.”
Record hunger, huge need
Experts say famine in the Zamzam refugee camp – home to some 500,000 people – is likely to last until the end of October while 13 other areas are also at risk.
They stressed that Sudan is facing the worst level of food insecurity in its history. More than half of the population – 25.6 million people – are suffering from acute hunger. Of these, more than 8.5 million are facing emergency levels of hunger and more than 755,000 are suffering from catastrophic conditions.
In response, humanitarian organizations have stepped up operations in recent months, but the needs remain huge, said Ms. Nkewata-Salami.
“The humanitarian community is moving forward on multiple fronts, including urgently delivering food, nutrition, medical supplies and agricultural inputs to areas most at risk, scaling up cash assistance to communities in need, and expanding its presence where hunger is most acute,” she added.
Silence the Guns
“But to do that, we need to silence the guns so that humanitarians can reach those in need,” she said. “We need urgent funding for relief and safe and unhindered humanitarian access, including across borders and front lines.”
A senior official of the United Nations refugee agency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesalso called on donors to increase support for Sudan and end the war.
“The warning signs have been there for months. Now we have tragic confirmation that there is famine in the North Darfur region of Sudan,” speak Mamadou Dian Balde, regional refugee coordinator for the UN agency in Sudan.
“With horrific human rights violations, the forced displacement of more than 10 million people since the war broke out last year, and the lack of the most basic services for a large part of the population, the world’s most urgent humanitarian disaster is growing and worsening every day, threatening to engulf the entire region.”
As famine intensifies in Sudan, those fleeing to neighbouring countries “will arrive in increasingly precarious conditions,” he added.
“Urgent action is vital to prevent further death and suffering,” he said.
