According to a report by Reuters on October 26, dozens of countries, including the United States and major European nations, have stated that Sudan's food security situation is deteriorating alarmingly, and they have urged all parties involved in the conflict in Sudan to ‘remove any obstacles to humanitarian aid’.
These countries have jointly stated that in the face of potential famine, they call on the international community to increase funding and urge financial institutions to adjust their current plans to adapt to food security situations.
The United States State Department issued a joint statement saying: "The situation regarding food security in Sudan is deteriorating in a shocking manner. As warned by the Comprehensive Food Security Phase Classification, there is a risk of famine in the coming months, and urgent action is required." "All parties involved in the conflict bear primary responsibility for alleviating the suffering of the people of Sudan."
According to Reuters, since April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces have been fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The two sides have fallen out over how to integrate their respective forces during the planned transition to civilian governance.
In June of this year, a global hunger monitoring organization supported by the United Nations stated that 5.1 million people in Sudan are facing severe hunger. Since the civil war began in 2023, farmers have had difficulty harvesting crops, and they have recently faced drought.
The joint statement urges all parties to the conflict to authorize humanitarian operations along all cross-line and cross-border routes, including opening up air corridors into Darfur. The statement also calls on all parties to “maintain the presence of humanitarian personnel throughout Sudan and provide them with protection,” in order to avoid attacks on civilian infrastructure.
This declaration was signed by officials in charge of equality, emergency management, and crisis management from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union. The U.S. State Department stated last month that the Sudanese armed forces, the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organization, and their respective leaders “do not represent a lawful or constitutional government of Sudan.”
This war has displaced more than 14 million people and led to several rounds of ethnic-based killings. A United Nations investigation in July stated that rapid support forces carried out mass killings, rapes, and forced starvation in a city they had besieged and captured last year. These actions were part of a deliberate policy that amounts to genocide.
Washington also accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing genocide, and accused the Sudanese armed forces of war crimes. Both sides had previously denied these allegations.
