The United States and 30 other countries have called for urgent humanitarian action in Sudan, warning that the country’s food security situation is deteriorating amid the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a joint statement issued by the US State Department on Monday, October 26, the 31 countries warned that the risk of famine in the coming months requires immediate intervention to save lives and prevent further suffering.
“The risk of famine in the coming months, as warned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, needs urgent action,” the statement read. “There is no time to lose to save lives and prevent famine.”
According to the statement, an estimated 19.5 million people, representing more than 40 per cent of Sudan’s population, are facing acute food insecurity, with approximately five million experiencing emergency levels of hunger.
The countries also warned that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition could surpass the projected 825,000 without immediate measures to reverse the worsening situation.
They further cautioned that the number of areas experiencing food insecurity across the country is expected to double, raising concerns about the scale of the impending humanitarian crisis.
The signatories urged both warring parties to remove restrictions hindering aid delivery, facilitate safe and rapid humanitarian access, and protect aid workers operating in affected areas.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated Sudan, with aid workers estimating that more than 200,000 people have been killed and over 13 million displaced. The war has also triggered the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
The joint statement was endorsed by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, alongside the United States.
The countries stressed that immediate and unhindered humanitarian assistance remains critical to preventing famine and addressing the growing needs of millions of Sudanese civilians caught up in the conflict.
