The ongoing conflict in Sudan between rival generals poses a significant threat to global food security, as highlighted by the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).
The power tussle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has resulted in widespread devastation, including tens of thousands of casualties, infrastructure damage, and severe economic repercussions for Sudan.
Moreover, the conflict has led to the displacement of over eight million individuals, adding to the two million already displaced prior to the outbreak of hostilities, thus creating the largest displacement crisis in the world.
“Now, millions of lives and the peace and stability of an entire region are at stake”, WFP executive director, Cindy McCain, observed in a statement on Wednesday.
“Twenty years ago, Darfur was the world’s largest hunger crisis and the world rallied to respond,” she said, referring to the vast western region of Sudan.
“But today, the people of Sudan have been forgotten.”
The RSF originated from the Janjaweed militia, which was utilized by former dictator Omar al-Bashir to combat ethnic minority rebels in Darfur during the early 2000s.
During the ongoing conflict, allegations have been made against both the RSF and the army for their indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, targeting civilians, and impeding the delivery of essential aid.
The WFP is currently facing challenges in reaching 90 percent of those experiencing “emergency levels of hunger”, with only five percent of Sudan’s population able to afford a proper meal each day.
In overcrowded transit camps in South Sudan, where 600,000 Sudanese refugees have sought shelter, the UN food agency reported that families arrive hungry and face further hunger.
The UN also highlighted that one in every five children crossing the border was suffering from malnutrition.
Across Sudan, over 18 million people are reportedly facing acute food security, five million of whom are at catastrophic levels of hunger — the highest emergency classification short of famine.
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