To respond to the famine in Sudan, it is urgent to increase food, nutritional, monetary and agricultural assistance

In response to reports confirming famine conditions in parts of Sudan’s Darfur region, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced that it is seeking to halt the spread of famine in some parts of Sudan’s Darfur region.FAO) called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a rapid increase in assistance food, nutritional and monetary aid to save lives, as well as emergency agricultural aid.

In a statement, FAO said that this aid is essential in the areas affected by the conflict to alleviate immediate needs and prevent the risk of famine from increasing and affecting other localities in Sudan.

Don’t wait for the declaration of famine

Immediate needs must be met and people’s livelihoods strengthened to enable them to develop resilience to conflict, climate and economic crises.The international community cannot wait for a famine to be declaredbut must act on a large scale and with urgency when warnings are a trigger for action,” FAO emphasized.

Last week, the Famine Review Committee declared famine in Zamzam IDP camp, which hosts 500,000 IDPs outside the town of El Fasher in Darfur.

Sudan is mired in a unprecedented food security crisisfacing the worst levels of hunger ever recorded in the country by the Committee, as well as the largest internally displaced person crisis in the world.

Nails 755,000 people face catastrophic levels of acute hungerthe worst form of hunger, while 25.6 million suffer from high levels of acute hunger.

We have sounded the alarm of impending catastrophe

The FAO Director-General highlighted the growing risk of famine in other settlements and areas affected by the Sudanese conflict, especially in Darfur, South Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah.

“We have been sounding the alarm about this impending catastrophe, But due to ongoing conflict and limited humanitarian access, these communities are not yet receiving the immediate support they need. “We need urgent and concerted action to prevent an even greater catastrophe from occurring,” Qu Dongyu said.

Famine can be stopped, but the first step must be an immediate cessation of hostilities“Peace is a requirement for food security, and the right to food is a human right,” he added.

Sudan depends on agriculture

With nearly 65% ​​of the population working in the agricultural sector, Sudan is highly dependent on agriculture, so severe damage and disruption to rural livelihoods and agri-food systems from the Conflict has knock-on effects on food security and nutrition.

FAO warned that the situation may worsen given above-average rainfall and temperatures expected in southern and central Sudan due to the La Niña phenomenon between August and September.

Possible flooding would increase the risk of Crop and livestock losseswhile limited humanitarian access is worsening food supplies and increasing the risk of severe famine, the agency stressed.

FAO distributes seeds

The Organization and its partners are leading multi-sectoral efforts to prevent an escalation of famine across the country.

However, they have stressed that it is essential to increase vital food and cash assistance for those facing severe food shortages although this alone cannot fill the gaps caused by the decreasing availability, supply and local production of food.

To accelerate agricultural production, FAO distributes seeds to 1.2 million farmers for the main sowing season, which began in June. If this campaign is fully implemented, it will allow for the production of a harvest of between 2.4 and 3.6 million tons of sorghum grain.

FAO also provides essential veterinary services and plans to provide emergency supplies for livestock and fisheries.