In Sudan, the conflict between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces under Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, is about to mark its one-year anniversary. Since its onset, the war has claimed thousands of lives and displaced eight million people, both internally and to neighboring nations, according to United Nations reports. However, the lack of aid and precarious conditions have pushed Sudan to the brink of famine.
Justin Brady, Head of the OCHA office in Sudan, emphasized the alarming food security situation. He noted that this year’s harvest was at least 4% lower than last year, with credible warnings of famine received just last month. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) highlighted the severity of the crisis, unable to update its assessment due to security concerns.
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Their previous assessment in December found that 17.7 million Sudanese faced acute food insecurity, with five million on the brink of famine.
Reports of malnutrition-related deaths and extreme measures to procure food, such as eating tree leaves or going days without food, underscore the dire circumstances. Brady described the humanitarian situation as bleak and urged immediate action to prevent further catastrophe.
The ongoing conflict has decimated food production, halted imports, and led to a 45% increase in staple food prices within a year. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the severe restrictions on food movement, particularly to rural and remote areas, where over 37% of the population faces hunger crisis levels.
Eighteen months before the conflict erupted, Burhan and Dagalo orchestrated a military coup, disrupting Sudan’s path towards democratic transition following the ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The coup and subsequent war dashed hopes for democratic governance, leaving Sudan in turmoil.
United Nations experts reported that Darfur is witnessing its worst violence since 2005, indicating the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for international intervention.
