On Tuesday, senior United Nations officials urged the Security Council to facilitate humanitarian aid access to Sudan through border crossings, conflict zones, and both air and ground routes.
This request comes in response to severe famine conditions reported in at least one area of North Darfur.
The United States had suggested last month that the Security Council consider permitting aid deliveries through border crossings like Adré in Chad.
However, the Sudanese government and Russia, which holds veto power in the Council, have opposed this move, asserting that there is no need for Security Council intervention.
The Sudanese Ambassador to the UN stated that the government is prepared to cooperate and open crossings for humanitarian aid if famine conditions worsen, rejecting claims of obstructing aid.
The Global Hunger Index reports that the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has persisted for over 15 months, coupled with restrictions on aid delivery, has resulted in famine conditions at the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur.
Both the Sudanese government and Russia have contested this assessment.
UN humanitarian officials have emphasized that the occurrence of famine indicates a significant delay in response, reflecting a failure on the part of the international community to address the crisis effectively.
US officials have proposed that the Security Council consider a resolution to permit cross-border aid into Sudan, akin to measures taken for Syria.
Nonetheless, such an action appears unlikely in the near term.
Russian diplomats have argued that the international community should refrain from intervening in Sudan’s internal matters under the guise of a humanitarian crisis and should instead provide guidance on which humanitarian corridors should be opened.
