International warnings continued on Monday and Tuesday regarding the worsening famine risk in Sudan, amid calls for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire to allow aid to reach those affected and pave the way for peace.
US Presidential Advisor for African and Arab Affairs, Masad Boulos, stated on Tuesday on the US platform "X" that "the growing famine risk in Sudan confirms the urgent need to secure a humanitarian ceasefire."
For his part, the European Union and 29 countries, including the United States and Britain, warned on Monday in a joint statement of the risk of worsening famine in Sudan in the coming months.
The statement issued by the European Commission for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, and the governments of 29 countries, noted that "approximately 19.5 million people, representing 41 percent of the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity, including 5 million people suffering from emergency levels."
It added that "the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition may exceed 825,000, while the number of areas experiencing food insecurity is expected to double compared to initial estimates covering 14 areas."
The statement attributed the hunger crisis to the ongoing conflict, which resulted in the displacement of millions, damage to infrastructure, disruption of health services, agricultural production, supply chains, and markets, as well as the obstruction of humanitarian aid and the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
It warned that El Niño contributed to reduced rainfall and expanded drought across more than half of the country's area.
Calls to lift restrictions
The statement called on the parties to the conflict to lift all restrictions imposed on aid, ensure its safe, rapid, and unobstructed delivery, protect humanitarian workers, and allow relief operations across conflict lines and borders.
It also urged the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding, calling on development and financing institutions to adapt their programs to Sudan's food security needs, support the winter agricultural season, and enhance community-led initiatives.
The humanitarian suffering in Sudan is worsening due to the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, ongoing since April 2023, stemming from a dispute over unifying the military institution, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of approximately 13 million people.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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