Sudan: As the threat of famine grows, fighting poses obstacles to aid delivery

ROMA – Zamzam camp hosts around 500,000 displaced people and is located close to North Darfur’s besieged capital, El Fasher, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting since the war began last April between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 10.7 million people have already been displaced inside Sudan and another 2.1 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, mostly in Chad. The fighting has also triggered a severe hunger crisis, with nearly 26 million people struggling to secure daily meals.

The difficulties of aid. In an interview with UN NewsLeni Kinzli, Head of Communications at the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan, said that in addition to North Darfur, 13 other areas of the country are at risk of famine, particularly areas with active conflicts such as Kordofan and Khartoum. In Khartoum, which until 18 months ago was a vibrant city with no worries about food security, today some 90,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of food shortages. There are neighborhoods in Khartoum, Kinzli explained, where people survive by mixing whatever grains they have with water and eating once a day to survive.

Humanitarian commitment. WFP is stepping up its efforts to address the emergency: the agency aims to reach 8.4 million people by the end of the year. The specific goal is to provide 100,000 hot meals per month and cash assistance to those most in need. Although one of the main obstacles to the full delivery of cash assistance is the liquidity crisis that has also hit Sudan due to the war. WFP is also working to set up community kitchens together with local non-governmental organizations.