Brussels- Country representatives of UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP in Sudan sounded the alarm and urged the EU to step up efforts to help those affected by one of the world's worst, and most neglected, humanitarian emergencies.
As the war in Sudan rages on for nearly 18 months, the country is facing one of the largest and fastest growing displacement crises in the world. Nearly 10.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 2.3 million who have fled into neighboring countries. Urgent needs include water, food, shelter, health care, cash assistance, education, protection and basic relief items. Recent flooding and disease outbreaks such as cholera and measles have worsened protection risks for vulnerable groups. Tens of thousands of people, including children, have been subject to violence, been killed or injured.
Over 25.6 million people are exposed to acute hunger with the most vulnerable facing malnutrition. Confirmed famine in the Zamzam Internally Displaced Persons camp in the Darfur region is the first to be documented globally since 2017, while 13 other areas of Sudan are at risk of famine.
"This is the worst hunger crisis recorded in Sudan since the war in Darfur in the early 2000s, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet today this catastrophic situation is not just confined to one region of the country," said Rainatou Baillet, WFP's Deputy Country Director a.i. for Sudan. "It spans across Sudan and is hitting every single state - including the embattled capital of Khartoum and areas like Jazirah State, formerly the agricultural heartland of Sudan."
Grave human rights violations, such as indiscriminate attacks, and sexual and gender-based violence, are ongoing. Not only are children suffering from sexual violence, but they are also being recruited and used in the conflict.
"The scale and extent of the suffering children in Sudan are enduring, due to a war they did nothing to cause, is catastrophic. This is truly a child protection crisis," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in Sudan. "UNICEF is doing everything we can, together with our partners, to deliver aid to people in need, but it is not enough."
"Despite the massive impact of the conflict in Sudan and the region, it is a neglected humanitarian crisis. Millions are already uprooted from their homes, and the scale of displacement is only growing. The combination of the ongoing conflict, restricted humanitarian access and recent flooding has turned the Sudan emergency into multiple crises rolled into one. Without urgent attention and support the consequences of inaction will continue to extend far beyond Sudan's borders," said Kristine Hambrouck, UNHCR Representative in Sudan.
Access constraints, security risks, and logistical challenges, including the annual rainy season, are making aid operations extremely difficult. Despite these challenges, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP are on the ground, working with partners to provide life-saving assistance wherever access is possible.
UNHCR has significantly scaled up its resources to support forcibly displaced and hosting communities in Sudan including refugee and asylum-seekers by providing emergency shelters, clean water, cash assistance and essential relief items and services, like education, legal aid and psychosocial support. In the Darfur States, through cross-border operations from Chad, UNHCR is delivering much-needed relief to millions affected by the conflict, food insecurity, and recent floods.
UNICEF is staying and delivering for the nearly 14 million children who require humanitarian assistance. This includes delivering ready-to-use therapeutic food to treat an estimated 334,000 children across the country, reaching 7.5 million children and their families with safe drinking water, and 2.3 million children and caregivers with psychosocial counselling, learning and protection support.
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WFP is in a race against time to save lives. Hundreds of trucks with vital food and nutrition aid are on the road every day, headed towards people who are at risk of famine. This year alone, WFP has provided emergency food assistance to 5.4 million people. But this is just a drop in the ocean given the scale of this crisis. Even more is needed if we are to stand a chance at halting famine and preventing it from spreading.
As the needs of millions of people continue to grow, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP are urgently calling for concerted attention and focus on the needs of those most affected by this crisis. They are also calling for unimpeded humanitarian access, respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, and a cessation of hostilities.
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