The escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, caused by continuing political strife and power struggles, may soon precipitate the largest global hunger crisis, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN organisation dedicated to fighting hunger worldwide emphasised the gravity and urgency of the situation in a recent statement.
Cindy McCain, Director of the WFP, signalled the alarming state of Sudan, invoking the memory of Darfur’s major hunger crisis twenty years ago. “Darfur was the world’s largest hunger crisis, and the world rallied to respond,” McCain recalled. Her comments drew attention to the fact that much like Darfur, the current crisis in Sudan endangers peace and stability in the broader region while threatening millions of lives.
The power struggle between General al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Hemedti, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has resulted in a conflict that has lasted for almost a year. The devastating ramifications of this war are highly evident, with tens of thousands of people dead, the nation’s infrastructure heavily damaged, and the economy spiralling towards a severe collapse.
As if these consequences weren’t dire enough, the conflict has also led to the displacement of an unprecedented number of people. Approximately eight million people have been displaced as a direct result of the hostilities, with this figure augmenting the previously established two million individuals who were compelled to leave their homes prior to the ongoing conflict. This exacerbates the existing displacement catastrophe and escalates it into the world’s most severe.
Sudan’s political turmoil has not just worsened the hunger situation, but it has also posed significant obstacles to the provision of humanitarian aid. The WFP has had to cease operations from Chad to Darfur after the local authorities refused to grant permission for cross-border truck convoys. This lifeline route has facilitated the aid to more than one million individuals in West and Central Darfur since August, and the WFP had plans to amplify this figure monthly to counter the rising levels of hunger and malnutrition in Darfur.
However, with the interruption of aid routes, efforts to assuage Sudan’s escalating crisis look increasingly bleak. The intensifying food security and displacement issues underscore the humanitarian disaster embroiling the country. The warning from the WFP serves as a grim reminder that the nation’s political crisis does not merely threaten Sudan’s stability, but also poses a severe threat to civil life and survival. The international community’s collaborative action becomes all the more crucial in this context.
The standoff between military leaders continues to destabilise Sudan as the region teeters on the brink of a potential hunger crisis. Trapped in the crossfire are millions of Sudanese who bear the brunt of the deteriorating situation. The WFP’s stark warning alludes to the humanitarian cost of political instability and emphasises the urgent need for intervention to mitigate the escalating crisis.
