Famine is spreading in parts of Darfur, Sudan
- Half a million displaced people are sheltering in Zamzam
- Conflict and lack of humanitarian access drive famine
- Famine will worsen
- More diseases on the horizon
Famine is widespread in several war-torn areas of Sudan and will remain among the affected population for at least the next two months, according to a new global food insecurity report released Thursday.
The armed conflict, which has been raging for 15 months, "has severely hampered humanitarian access and pushed parts of North Darfur into famine, particularly in the Zamzam IDP camp," warned the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee.
The Committee - made up of UN agencies, regional partners and aid organisations - classifies food insecurity into five phases, the fifth of which indicates famine when at least one in five individuals or families suffer extreme food shortages and face starvation.
Half a million displaced people are sheltering in Zamzam
Zamzam is located about 12 kilometres south of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, and is one of the largest IDP camps in Sudan, with a population that has expanded rapidly in recent weeks to at least 500,000 people.
"The scale of the devastation caused by the escalating violence in El Fasher town is profound and heartbreaking," the report states.
It also explains that persistent, intense and widespread fighting has forced many residents to seek refuge in displacement camps, where basic services are scarce or non-existent, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
The document estimates that some 320,000 people have been displaced since mid-April in El Fasher, and that 150,000 to 200,000 of them have moved to Zamzam in search of safety, basic services and food since mid-May.
Conflict and lack of humanitarian access drive famine
The main causes of the famine in Zamzam camp are conflict and lack of humanitarian access, two factors that can be addressed immediately with the necessary political will," the Committee notes.
Restrictions on humanitarian access, including impediments imposed by parties active in the conflict, have severely limited the ability of specialised organisations to extend assistance to the population in need.
Famine will worsen
The Committee warns that famine conditions "will worsen and become even more protracted if the conflict continues and full humanitarian and commercial access is not allowed".
The report contains the latest assessments of famine in Sudan, but in previous publications the Committee had repeatedly warned of imminent famine earlier this year.
The Committee projects a worsening situation until at least October due to continued lack of access to food, increased risk of infectious diseases and very limited access to health care and nutrition services.
With conflict being the main driver of the famine, the report recommends working comprehensively with the parties involved to reduce or resolve it.
"A cessation of hostilities together with the sustained restoration of humanitarian access are essential to mitigate the deteriorating food security, nutrition and health conditions faced by populations in El Fasher town and across Sudan," the Committee emphasised.
More diseases on the horizon
In addition, it anticipates an increased risk of waterborne diseases, the possibility of a measles outbreak due to low vaccination coverage, and a higher incidence of malaria associated with the rainy season.
To avoid such calamities, the Committee recommended, inter alia, that the parties to the conflict immediately halt any attacks on hospitals, aid groups and civilian infrastructure and ensure unimpeded access routes to and from the states of Greater Darfur for humanitarian and commercial actors.
