Reuters reported on Monday’s letter from Sudan to the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) and its Famine Review Committee (FRC), stating that “our investigation found that the Sudanese government obstructed the IPC’s work earlier this year. “It was found that it delayed the onset of famine by several months.” It is a determination for the vast Zamzam camp. ”
According to Reuters, the new government letter accuses the monitoring group of “publishing unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity.” “The upcoming IPC report lacks up-to-date malnutrition data and an assessment of crop productivity from the recent summer rainy season, the letter says.The growing season was a success, the letter said. , also cited “serious concerns” about the IPC’s ability to collect data from areas under its control,” according to RSF. ”
The IPC report, released on Tuesday, said: “The FRC reports that famine (IPC Phase 5) will occur during the October-November 2024 period in the Zamzam, Abshouk and Al-Salam camps and in the Western Nuba Mountains, with both populations It has been classified as having an impact on From December 2024 to May 2025, famine (IPC Phase 5) is projected to persist in the same regions and increase in North Darfur. Producers of Umm Qadada, Merit, El Fasher, At Tawisha, and Al Light. ”
“There is a risk of famine in the central Nuba Mountains and areas with high IDP influxes in north and south Darfur,” the report said. Furthermore, “Residents in the hotly contested areas of Khartoum (Mayo and Alingaz in Jebel Auliya) and al-Jazira (Medan al-Kubra and Sharg al-Jazira) are experiencing the same conditions as areas classified as famine. “In the absence of recent data, the FRC is unable to confirm whether the famine threshold has been exceeded.”
The document states: “The current analysis reflects conditions during the harvest season, when hunger and acute malnutrition are typically at their lowest. From December onwards, seasonal mitigation that could improve the situation on the ground is possible. “The factors will almost disappear,” he said. An even bigger disaster can be prevented by halting the conflict and significantly scaling up or reducing aid. ”
Experts say 24.6 million people in Sudan, half of the country’s population, face “high levels of severe food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above)” and the current conflict has left more than 12 million people vulnerable to food insecurity. More than 3.2 million people are said to be refugees. He fled to a neighboring country.
Leaders from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Program (WFP) expressed concern about Tuesday’s report and renewed calls for action.
“We must end hunger in Sudan. It is possible,” said Laine Poulsen, FAO’s Director of Emergencies and Resilience. “We need immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver food, water, health and life-saving emergency agricultural aid to bring people from the brink. Above all, we need immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to bring people from the brink. Stopping is a critical first step. We must act now, come together, and act at scale for millions of people whose lives are at risk. To. ”
Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP’s director of food security and nutrition analysis, said that across Sudan, “people are becoming increasingly weak and dying after months of little or no access to food.” emphasized.
“WFP is committed to ensuring a steady and continuous flow of food aid to the hungriest and hardest-to-reach places in Sudan,” Bauer continued. “We are constantly adjusting our operations as the conflict evolves and providing support whenever and wherever possible. However, recent operational progress is fragile as the situation on the ground is volatile and dangerous. .”
“Ongoing conflict, continued displacement and recurrent disease outbreaks have created a dangerous breeding ground for malnutrition in Sudan,” said Lucia Elmi, UNICEF’s director of emergencies.
“Millions of young lives are at risk,” Elmi warned. “Delivering life-saving therapeutic food, water and medicine can help stem the deadly malnutrition crisis, but to reach the most vulnerable children and save lives, safe delivery of food, water and medicine is essential. requires continuous and unimpeded access.”
Human Rights Watch also highlighted the new data and accused parties to the conflict of “deliberately” blocking aid. Belkis Wille, associate director of crisis, conflict and weapons at the U.S.-based group, wrote on Tuesday:
In the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan, we witnessed famine.
In October, we traveled to the Nuba Mountains to interview people displaced by attacks by the RSF and its allies. Witnesses described murders, rapes and vandalism in the southern Kordofan towns of Habila and Fayu, just 20 kilometers apart.
The effects of starvation were obvious. Almost everyone we spoke to had traces of hunger. One eight-year-old boy I met starved to death during a five-day visit. While we were there, we didn’t see any international organizations or UN agencies providing food assistance, but we kept wondering if some people could survive more than a few months without assistance. I was thinking.
“Governments should impose sanctions on those responsible before more civilians, including children, starve to death in Sudan.A powerful speech was made at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on December 19th, but “There was very little activity,” Willie added. “The UN and donors should work together to ensure immediate aid is available across Sudan and significantly increase support to local response forces. , should be made more clear. Civilians in the Nuba Mountains and North Darfur can’t wait until the new year.”
