Sudan's war 'deepening, widening' famine crisis: IPC

Associated Press

Cairo: Famine is spreading in Sudan due to a war between the military and a notorious paramilitary group that has wrecked the country and created the world's largest displacement crisis, a global hunger-monitoring group said on Tuesday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said it detected famine in five areas, including in Sudan's largest displacement camp, Zamzam, in North Darfur province, where famine was found for the first time in August.

“This marks an unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis, driven by the devastating conflict and poor humanitarian access,” an IPC report said. As well as in the Zamzam camp, which hosts more than 400,000 people, famine was also detected in two other camps for displaced people, Abu Shouk and al-Salam in North Darfur, and the Western Nuba Mountains, IPC's report said. Five other areas in North Darfur are projected “with reasonable evidence” to experience famine in the next six months, including el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, it said. Seventeen areas in the Nuba Mountains and the northern and southern areas of Darfur are at risk of famine, it added.

The report said some areas in Khartoum and the east-central province of Gezira “may be experiencing” famine-like conditions. It said experts were unable to confirm whether famine threshold has been surpassed due to a lack of data. Ahead of the IPC's report, Sudan's government said it had suspended its participation in the global system, according to a senior United Nations official with knowledge of the move.In a letter dated December 23, Agriculture Minister Abu Baker al- Beshri accused the IPC of “issuing unreliable reports that undermine Sudan's sovereignty and dignity”, said the UN official, who spoke in condition of anonymity.

Sudan has been roiled by a 20-month war that has killed more than 24,000 people and driven over 14 million people about 30 per cent of the population from their homes, according to the United Nations. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. The war began in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading to other urban areas and the western Darfur region.