Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as 25 Million Face Famine in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict

The confirmation of famine in Zamzam camp in Sudan has prompted Cindy McCain, the World Food Programme (WFP) executive director, to make three unceasing appeals on Sudan's conflict situation. The empathetic appeals include safe access for humanitarians, diplomatic solutions, and increased funding for humanitarian aid.

Reminiscently, on April 16, 2023, she released a sad statement about the tragedy that befell some of the WFP employees who were on their life-saving duty in Kabkabiya, North Darfur.

"I am appalled and heartbroken by the tragic deaths of three WFP employees on Saturday April 15 in violence in Kabkabiya, North Darfur while carrying out their life saving duties on the front lines of the global hunger crisis. Two WFP employees were also injured in the same incident. We have informed the families of these dedicated team members and stand with them and our entire WFP family at this time of catastrophe."

Notably, it's a year down the line and conflict in Sudan between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continues to rage hot. The effects of the war have caused devastating effects on the inhabitants of Zamzam camp and other people across Sudan.

Zamzam camp, which shelters hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Sudan's North Darfur Region, is facing difficulty in humanitarian access to offer the due assistance to almost 25 million of the affected individuals.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 2024 Emergency Watch list has identified Sudan as most at risk of diminishing humanitarian access.

Eatizaz Yousif, IRC Country Director for Sudan, has lamented how the world has ignored the war in Sudan, and his people are dying while others are languishing in acute pain from the unfriendly effects of the conflict thereof.

In his quoted words, "After more than a year of war, the people of Sudan—my people—are experiencing suffering on a massive scale. Millions of lives have been turned upside down, children's education has all but stopped, basic services like hospitals and banks have ceased to function in many parts of the country, and families are having to make impossible choices to feed their children. The world has chosen to ignore the suffering in Sudan for too long, many civilians have been killed and numerous towns have been destroyed, including the capital Khartoum. There has been no adequate interventions to halt the conflict," he said.

Additionally, a radio interview by BBC news reporter Shaunley with WFP executive Cindy McCain reveals the frustration the WFP humanitarians are currently facing.

Despite the availability of food, and immense aid needful in the prevailing crisis, the major frustration to the WFP is the incapability to access the individuals who need it. This is evident from the interview as quoted below.

CINDY MCCAIN:

We've been asking all along for safe, unfettered access.

We need to be able to get in, and we need to get in at scale, but we still have trouble getting in. As you know, there is no ceasefire.

The diplomatic avenues right now have slowed down, but they're still in the works.

So, we are keeping all our fingers crossed for the diplomatic elements in all this. But nevertheless, we need to get in and feed people in the areas that have been affected. It's most of the country, but some places are more affected than others, causing great harm to the population and, most generally, the children. This is a very tragic situation, and this will be the largest humanitarian situation on the planet, ever, unless we can get there.

She reports that 25 million people are facing severe famine across Sudan, and it is entirely unacceptable since people are dying from hunger.