In brief
As the civil war endures, residents of El-Fasher in Sudan face dire food shortages, with the potential for widespread starvation looming over the nearly 300,000 trapped citizens.
Sudan's civil war, now in its third year, has escalated into a severe humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) sounding the alarm over potential starvation in el-Fasher, a city in the western Darfur region. For over a year, road access for food deliveries has been blocked, leaving families in the besieged city vulnerable and desperate.El-Fasher has been surrounded for 16 months by paramilitary forces from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are engaged in a fierce struggle to control the city from the Sudanese army. Reports from local activists indicate fatalities due to starvation, as the population of approximately 300,000 faces extreme food scarcity.Since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, a violent clash for power between the Sudanese army and the RSF has contributed to what is now recognized as one of the gravest humanitarian crises globally. Malnutrition rates have skyrocketed, with UNICEF reporting that many children in el-Fasher are "reduced to skin and bones."The urgent WFP warning arrives as Al-Hafiz Bakhit, Governor of North Darfur and ally of the military-led government, describes the living conditions in el-Fasher as intolerable. The RSF's increasing aggression has made the supply routes for essential goods precarious, leaving residents to resort to foraging and consuming animal fodder.In a terse response, Eric Perdison, WFP's regional director for eastern and southern Africa, highlighted the dire situation: “Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive. Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.” A poignant account from an eight-year-old girl reflects this grim reality, stating that her environment was consumed by "hunger and bombs," with her family surviving mainly on millet.The WFP has food aid ready to deploy but remains hostage to the RSF's approval for a brief ceasefire to deliver essentials. The UN has been advocating for a temporary truce since June, following an attack on a UN aid convoy en route to the embattled city.Although the Sudanese military has indicated a willingness to agree to a ceasefire, the RSF allegedly dismissed the proposal, expressing concern that the pause would benefit forces opposing them. In the meantime, humanitarian challenges persist, with reports indicating more than one million individuals have fled el-Fasher since the conflict's start, and the ongoing rain season threatens road access to vital aid.Recent assessments from the International Organization for Migration present a mixed picture for accessible areas in central Sudan, sparking cautious optimism. However, UNICEF's Sudan representative, Sheldon Yett, warns that severe constraints on resources, driven by recent funding cuts, could precipitate an "irreversible damage" to future generations of children.As the crisis deepens, one thing remains clear: immediate international action is crucial in mitigating the potential loss of life amid growing starvation threats within el-Fasher and beyond, where the struggle for survival continues against a backdrop of desperation and suffering.
