New York: UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “around 638,000 people are confirmed to be in catastrophic hunger conditions, which are classified as phase 5 of the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC).
According to Oman News Agency, Dujarric noted reports of people dying of starvation in regions such as Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum during a daily press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. He labeled the situation as “horrific and sad,” emphasizing that a record 4.7 million children under the age of five, along with pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, are experiencing acute malnutrition in Sudan.
Dujarric urged all parties involved in the conflict to prioritize the welfare of the Sudanese people and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. He stressed the urgent need for expanded access and the opening of new corridors, both cross-border and across conflict frontlines, to deliver assistance and prevent further starvation.
In February, Edmore Tondhlana, Deputy Head of Office in Sudan for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted that approximately 30 million Sudanese require urgent humanitarian aid. He warned of a potential worsening of the humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing conflict, which has persisted for about 20 months.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been ongoing since April 2023, leading to over 20,000 deaths and the displacement of nearly 14 million people, as reported by UN and local sources.