World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain officially announced the restart of operations by the UN agency in Sudan, following a suspension of activities due to the killing of three WFP members in North Darfur on April 15.
Clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Security Forces (RSF) continue to fuel a humanitarian catastrophe that has forced more than 400,000 civilians to move within and outside the country and millions to remain confined to their homes without access to primary services.
A substantial aspect of the emergency is the ongoing food crisis. Already before the outbreak of the conflict, 15 million people were in situations of severe food insecurity, with the onset of violence the numbers are expected to increase dramatically. Just after the announcement of the restart of operations, UN Secretary General António Guterres requested UN Emergency Coordinator Martin Griffith to travel to the area to assess the situation. The latter stated through a tweet that the priority is to get aid into the country and distribute it to those in need.
Indeed, the efforts of the humanitarian machine have been continuously challenged by the course of the conflict, which has destroyed offices, vehicles, and warehouses, causing humanitarian forces to operate in support of Sudanese civilians only once they have reached neighbouring countries, such as Chad, Egypt, and the Central African Republic.
To date, WFP's priority is therefore to identify locations where humanitarian access is facilitated and where staff and partners can work safely while assisting the most vulnerable.
To read more, please visit:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136222
by Irene Alessandrini
