United Nations: Famine threatens 5 million due to the Sudan war
Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that the ongoing conflict in Sudan could lead to famine threatening up to 5 million people.
UN official Griffiths, in his speech to international news agencies, spoke about the impact of war and global humanitarian crises, as he stressed that the United Nations humanitarian response plans for 2024 aim to help 188 million people, but the lack of funding represents a major challenge, as the funding percentage did not exceed even Now 17% of the total amount required.
The UN official expressed particular concern about the deteriorating situation in Sudan, where the conflict is escalating and the possibility of famine is rising, noting that “both sides of the conflict in Sudan have decided to resolve their differences through fighting, which has led to a situation in which it is very likely that up to 5 One million Sudanese are at risk of famine.
Griffiths denounced the failure of the international community to stop conflicts and end the suffering of civilians, stressing the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to end wars and build peace. He explained: “We are achieving little success in ending conflicts. The founders who drafted the United Nations Charter in 1945, and who pledged to protect future generations from “The scourge of war, we are letting them down right and left.”
At the same time, Griffiths praised the efforts of humanitarian workers, noting that they do not represent a final solution, considering that the final solution is to stop the war and build peace.
It is noteworthy that the United Nations had announced earlier that it had received only 12% of the funding estimated at $2.7 billion required to provide aid to Sudan, noting that the country is on the “brink of famine.”
Jens Laerke, spokesman for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described the lack of funding as “catastrophic,” and the UN official said: “Without more resources arriving quickly, humanitarian organizations will not be able to intensify their efforts in time to stave off famine.”
He added: “It is time for donors to fulfill the pledges they made, intensify their efforts and help us help Sudan and be part of changing the current path that leads to the brink of abyss.”
This coincides with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warning of the escalation of violence in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe.
It is noteworthy that tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced in Sudan since the outbreak of war, in April 2023, between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
