In brief
With over a year of siege conditions, residents in El-Fasher face acute food shortages, while the World Food Programme emphasizes the urgent need for humanitarian assistance amid rising malnutrition rates among children.
Residents of El-Fasher, a besieged city in Sudan's Darfur region, are on the brink of starvation, according to a recent warning from the World Food Programme (WFP). For more than twelve months, the humanitarian agency has been unable to transport essential food supplies to the city, which remains surrounded by paramilitary forces known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).The dire situation unfolds as Sudan’s civil war enters its third year, sparked in April 2023 by a fierce power struggle between the national army and the RSF. The city, which is home to approximately 300,000 residents, is now facing one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, with local activists already reporting deaths caused by malnutrition.The WFP’s alarming message comes on the back of North Darfur Governor Al-Hafiz Bakhit's recent plea for immediate assistance to alleviate the unbearable living conditions in El-Fasher. As clashes intensify, the RSF’s concerted efforts to take control of the city have escalated since they were expelled from Khartoum earlier this year.Statistics reveal that 38% of children under five in nearby internally displaced persons camps are suffering from acute malnutrition, highlighting the serious health implications of the ongoing conflict. Prices for available food have surged dramatically, forcing many residents to resort to consuming animal fodder and waste."Survival in El-Fasher is a daily struggle," stated Eric Perdison, the WFP's regional director for eastern and southern Africa. He emphasized that without urgent access to food and resources, countless lives are at stake. One eight-year-old girl, Sondos, highlighted the gravity of the crisis by recalling her experiences of shelling and hunger in the city.The WFP has indicated that it is prepared to send food aid into El-Fasher, having received clearance from the Sudanese government. However, action depends on the RSF agreeing to a ceasefire that would allow humanitarian deliveries without further risk.Despite ongoing efforts for humanitarian truce talks, the RSF has reportedly dismissed the ceasefire proposal, fearing it could facilitate the delivery of resources to their opponents in the Sudanese military. Moreover, around one million people have fled El-Fasher since the conflict began, mostly escaping the violence and the destruction wreaked upon their homes.While there are some reports of improved conditions in regions of central Sudan, resources remain critically limited, leaving agencies like UNICEF struggling to provide necessary aid. According to Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative for Sudan, urgent action is essential to prevent catastrophic outcomes for an entire generation, especially children, whose well-being hangs in the balance due to insufficient international support. The need for prompt humanitarian assistance is urgent if lives are to be saved in this ongoing crisis.
