Britain and partners call for preventing famine in Sudan — Anadolu Agency
Britain and 31 international partners have called for urgent action to prevent famine in Sudan. In a joint statement, they warned of a sharp deterioration in food security: 19.5 million people, or around 41% of the country’s population, are facing acute food shortages, Anadolu Agency reports.
Risk of famine in the coming months
The statement, citing a warning from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), stressed the need for immediate measures to avert famine in the coming months.
According to the statement, around 5 million Sudanese residents are experiencing emergency levels of hunger. Without immediate intervention, the number of children with severe acute malnutrition could exceed the projected figure of 825,000. The number of areas with food insecurity, initially estimated at 14, is also expected to double.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Call to ensure humanitarian access
The statement identified the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, as the main driver of hunger. Since then, the conflict has displaced more than 14 million people, damaged critical infrastructure, and disrupted healthcare systems, food production, supply chains, and markets.
The partners also pointed to systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid and the effects of El Niño, which reduced rainfall and worsened drought in more than half of the country. The parties to the conflict were urged to remove all obstacles to humanitarian assistance and guarantee full, safe, rapid, and unimpeded access, including via routes across front lines, borders, and by air to Darfur.
The international community was urged to increase funding for humanitarian operations, support the winter planting season, and strengthen local response measures. The statement also called for civilian infrastructure, including agricultural and food systems, not to be attacked, and for humanitarian workers and facilities to be protected.
