A hunger monitoring organization warned on Thursday that famine is becoming a more significant threat in Sudan’s western Darfur region, which has been ravaged by war. The report came as an assault by paramilitary forces on a military hospital in the southern part of the country resulted in the death of 22 individuals, including the hospital’s director and three medical staff members.
The conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has led to what the United Nations describes as the most severe humanitarian crisis globally. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently released a report indicating that acute malnutrition has escalated to famine levels in two additional towns in Darfur, stopping short of confirming a full-blown famine in these areas.
The Sudan Doctors’ Network reported that the recent attack in the town of Kouik in South Kordofan province resulted in 22 fatalities, with eight individuals sustaining injuries. The network highlighted that this attack was part of a series of assaults that have rendered several hospitals non-operational in South Kordofan.
The United Nations estimates that over 40,000 people have lost their lives in the Sudanese conflict, with more than 14 million individuals displaced from their homes. The recent IPC report identified Umm Baru and Kernoi in North Darfur province as experiencing famine-level malnutrition. The report raised alarm over the high rates of malnutrition among children in these areas, indicating a heightened risk of mortality.
The IPC emphasized that an immediate ceasefire is essential to prevent further suffering and loss of life in Sudan. Despite the challenges in verifying access to food and mortality data, the IPC has confirmed famine in seven areas since the onset of the civil war in Sudan.
Recent fighting in various regions of Kordofan has intensified following the fall of El Fasher to the RSF. The Sudanese military has made advances in Kordofan, breaking sieges in Kadugli and Dilling. Additionally, the United States and the UN have initiated efforts to garner international support for humanitarian aid to Sudan through a new Sudan Humanitarian Fund, supported by contributions from various countries.
