The U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, has urgently called for an end to the blockade of Al Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces and urged the Sudanese Armed Forces to allow humanitarian aid access across borders and front lines.
This plea comes as millions of Sudanese women and children face a dire hunger crisis that could escalate into a full-blown famine without improved aid access.
In a recent statement on the social media platform “X,” Perriello highlighted the escalating humanitarian disaster in Greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, and parts of Khartoum.
He demanded that the Rapid Support Forces end their siege of Al Fasher and called on the Sudanese Armed Forces to permit the flow of life-saving food and medicine to all Sudanese urgently in need.
According to the United Nations, the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in 14,000 deaths since fighting broke out on April 15.
The UN reports a continual increase in the number of people displaced by the conflict, with approximately 8.1 million people forced from their homes, including about 6.3 million within Sudan and 1.8 million who have fled abroad.
The World Food Programme has warned of a worsening crisis in Sudan as the war, now lasting over a year, intensifies across the country.
Nearly 18 million people are facing acute hunger, with over 75% of them in emergency conditions in areas where access is restricted by fierce fighting and limitations. Without assistance, there is a significant risk of slipping into catastrophe, the agency warned.
This statement by Perriello underscores the critical situation in Sudan, where humanitarian efforts are hampered by military actions, leaving millions at risk of starvation amidst the conflict.
The international community is called upon to support these efforts and ensure that aid reaches those in desperate need to avert a humanitarian disaster.
