Starvation Crisis in Sudan's El-Fasher as UN Raises Alarm

The UN's World Food Programme warns of escalating starvation among families in el-Fasher, Sudan, as conflict cuts off vital supplies and humanitarian aid becomes nearly impossible.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan's el-Fasher is worsening rapidly as the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) issued a grave warning about the severe risk of starvation faced by families trapped within the besieged city. El-Fasher, located in the western Darfur region, has been encircled by paramilitary forces from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for almost 16 months, effectively preventing the delivery of essential food supplies by road for over a year.

As local activists report increasing instances of starvation-related deaths, the WFP indicated that the city, which is home to approximately 250,000 residents, is experiencing drastic food shortages leading to skyrocketing prices for the few available resources. The situation has become so dire that residents are resorting to consuming animal fodder and scraps in a desperate bid to survive.

"Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive," stated Eric Perdison, WFP's regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, emphasizing that relentless conflict over two years has drained people's coping mechanisms. He underscored the urgency of immediate access to humanitarian aid, warning that lives are at stake if assistance is not provided soon.

An eight-year-old girl named Sondos, who managed to escape the turmoil with family members, described the hardships of el-Fasher, saying, "In el-Fasher, there was a lot of shelling and hunger. Only hunger and bombs." Her family has resorted to surviving on a meager diet of millet, a stark reality for many in the city.

While the WFP has prepared trucks loaded with food and nutrition supplies, the organization has been unable to ensure safe passage for aid convoys, especially after a previously dispatched convoy was attacked, leading to further complications. The agency has been advocating for a week-long humanitarian truce in el-Fasher to enable aid delivery, although it remains uncertain how either faction would respond to such efforts.

The prolonged civil conflict in Sudan, which ignited in April 2023, has escalated into what the UN has labeled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with over 150,000 lives claimed and approximately 12 million individuals displaced. Amidst this chaos, alarming claims of genocide in Darfur have further compounded the tragic plight of countless Sudanese civilians.