UN: Over 6 Million on Brink of Famine in Sudan

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations has warned that millions of people are on the brink of famine in Sudan, as hunger and displacement are spiraling out of control in the African country amid the ongoing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF] and the Rapid Response Forces [RSF].

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA] issued the warning in a statement on Wednesday, saying that 6.3 million people in Sudan, about 13% of the population, are now one step from famine, in a new escalation of an already dire humanitarian situation.

The UN aid agency went on to say that over 20 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity due to the conflict, economic decline and mass displacement.

Citing data from the International Organization for Migration [IOM], OCHA said more than 3 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict in Sudan, adding that over 900,000 people have fled to neighboring countries—namely Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

The United Nations warned that Sudan is on the brink of a full-fledged civil war, which may threaten stability of the entire region.

According to IOM, people have been forced to leave all of Sudan’s 18 states, with the majority of them from Khartoum State.

The UN organization further said the current estimate of displacements over the past 108 days surpasses the total recorded for the previous four years.

It also noted that no humanitarian corridors have been created despite promises from the warring sides, thus preventing aid groups from delivering increasingly life-saving assistance.

The latest development comes as the United Nations World Food Program [WFP] has already warned that more than 19 million Sudanese people are facing food insecurity.

The UN confirmed that roughly half of the Sudanese population, 24.7 million people, including 13 million children, need humanitarian aid.