World Food Program Warns: Opportunity to Save Hundreds of Thousands in Sudan is Running Out

The World Food Program of the United Nations warned on Friday, April 14, that the opportunity to prevent the starvation of hundreds of thousands in the Darfur region is running out, as escalating conflicts in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan, hinder efforts to deliver vital food aid to the area. According to the World Food Program's website, civilians in El Fasher and Darfur are currently facing a horrific level of hunger, but the delivery of food aid is not occurring regularly due to war and endless bureaucratic obstacles. In this context, the intensification of violence around El Fasher has halted aid convoys coming from a border crossing in Chad. This situation jeopardizes the World Food Program's ability to meet the critical needs of over 700,000 people as the rainy season approaches, making many roads across Darfur impassable. The regional director of the World Food Program for East Africa stated, 'The situation is dire. People have resorted to eating grass and peanut shells.' This UN agency emphasized that its request for humanitarian access to conflict hotspots in Sudan has never been more urgent, adding that it urgently needs unrestricted access and security guarantees to provide assistance to families struggling to survive amid devastating levels of violence. Michael Dunford, the regional director of the World Food Program for East Africa, warned, 'If aid does not reach them soon, we will face widespread hunger and death in Darfur and other conflict-affected areas in Sudan.' According to the report, the war in Sudan has created the largest hunger crisis in the world, with approximately 28 million people in Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad facing acute food insecurity. Earlier, the UN's 2024 report on the global food crisis, published on April 25, stated that Sudan is also facing acute food insecurity, affecting 18 million people, with 5 million on the brink of famine.