The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, has warned that the ongoing conflict in Sudan threatens to lead to the “largest humanitarian crisis in the world.”
McCain emphasized during an interview with CBS News the importance of “safe and unimpeded access for the organization to deliver food to the war-torn country.”
She added: “Sudan has a real potential to become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. We can hardly get food in, and we certainly cannot get in on a widespread scale, and you can see the consequences of what can happen when people do not get food.”
She pointed out that the situation “is likely to become more difficult in the coming months,” saying: “We are also approaching the lean season, making it very difficult for our trucks to operate even if they manage to enter.”
“We need more crossings, and we need safe, unimpeded access,” she continued, comparing the obstacles in Sudan to those faced by the World Food Programme in delivering food to Gaza residents.
She added: “The bottom line is that people will starve unless we reach there.”
McCain stressed the potential consequences if the world “ignores the crisis unfolding in Sudan.”
She said: “Sudan is a forgotten crisis, and its effects lead to destabilizing the region,” warning that “the future effects could be catastrophic.”
She added: “So it is imperative that we open crossings, that we have safe access, and that different factions understand that we are operating in the humanitarian field.”
The World Food Programme called on “warring parties to grant unrestricted access to communities affected by the crisis” as hunger intensifies in the region.
Last Thursday, the World Food Programme announced an expansion of its food assistance to Sudan.
Days ago, Sudan Tribune reported that at least 100 residents of the village of Wad al-Noura in Sudan’s Jazeera state were killed following an attack by Rapid Support Forces on the town.
Sudan Tribune cited a statement from the Civil Resistance Committees stating that “the village of Wad al-Noura witnessed a genocide, after two attacks by Rapid Support Forces militia and the killing of up to 100 people.”
Since April 15, fierce and widespread clashes have continued between Sudanese army forces and Rapid Support Forces in various parts of Sudan, as each side seeks to control vital locations, including the Republican Palace, the headquarters of the General Command of the Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces Command, and several military and civilian airports.
The fighting has spread from Khartoum to other areas in the country, especially urban areas and Darfur.
The United Nations said that “more than 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured since the conflict began.”
The war in Sudan has also claimed the lives of thousands and displaced more than 8.5 million people, according to the United Nations.
