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“We cannot abandon the Sudanese people when they need us most,” Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM) Amy Pope said on Monday. The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we do not act now.”
Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil conflict since 2023 between rival militaries and their supporters. Around 8.6 million people are still internally displaced and 19.5 million people currently face crisis levels of food insecurity, exacerbated by maritime disruptions and drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern.
Speaking to reporters on Monday after an eight-day trip to Sudan, WFP Acting Director Carl Skau said the crisis in Sudan “has so far not received the attention it deserves.”
He added that the WFP has the presence and capacity to provide an effective humanitarian response but is largely constrained by funding.
“It is possible to make a difference,” he said. “Our main problem is funding. There is a risk that we will have to make significant cuts in the next few weeks, unless more funding becomes available.”
Aid reaches millions
The Common Humanitarian Pipeline system – managed by IOM and enabling more than 100 partners to provide assistance – has reached 2.84 million people as of July 2023. However its reach shrinks every year due to decreasing numbers of donations when other crises dominate global attention.
The IOM warns against that Current shelter, sanitation and household emergency assistance will run out at the end of Septemberwhile the warehouse will close without additional funding in December.
Meanwhile, WFP reaches 4 to 5 million people in Sudan each month with humanitarian assistance, including agricultural support and cash and food assistance.
Amid challenges to access by road, Skau said WFP had recently expanded its humanitarian assistance services in Sudan. With additional humanitarian funding, the UN and its partners can expand air services and reach more civilians in need.
“We need to take action,” said Mr. Skau. “We cannot continue to disappoint these people.”
Thousands of people fled
Entering its fourth year, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to harm civilians and drive people from their homes, according to the UN aid office (Ocha).
Over the weekend, drone strikes displaced thousands of people in Blue Nile, North Darfur and West Darfur states. Local sources reported civilian casualties.
In North Kordofan, El Obeid has become a haven for people fleeing violence elsewhere in the country. But The RSF has surrounded the cityand internally displaced persons (IDP) camps are stretched beyond capacity, placing increasing pressure on essential services.
“We once again call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and do the same enabling rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustainable humanitarian access to all those in need across Sudan,” said OCHA.
Skau: ‘Urgent’ to end the war
On a recent eight-day trip to Sudan, Skau visited local communities and refugee camps in El Obeid, El Fasher, Khartoum and other areas.
He told reporters that he spoke to women who had to go home without water after their tanks ran out and people who walked up to five days to reach a refugee camp after their village was destroyed.
In the North Darfur town of Tawila, Skau said he saw hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence in El Fasher living in “endless grass huts.” WFP has reached almost the entire population with aid but has only been able to provide half of the aid allocation.
It took Mr Skau three days to travel by car from El Obeid to El Fasher – a journey he said usually took six hours.
Upon arrival in El Fasher, Skau found a “terrifying city” devastated by the RSF’s brutal 18-month siege of the city, which ended in late October.
“I’ve seen a lot in this job and beyond. El Fasher is quite special,” Skau said. “It illustrates what conflict leaves behind, and it underscores the importance of ending conflict.”
‘Communities deserve to be supported’
When refugee families do not receive adequate housing, they face increased risks of gender-based violence, family separation, and eviction from overcrowded refugee camps.
IOM needs $15 million to maintain the minimum capacity of its humanitarian pipeline for 12 months, although additional funding will allow it to reach more people.
The WFP is only one-third funded in Sudanaccording to Mr Skau. More donations would allow the agency to more effectively meet the needs of the local population and adequately protect civilians.
“Communities have the right to be supported with basic humanitarian assistancesaid Mr Skau.
