According to Mr Griffiths, severe famine is driven by the impact of the conflict on agricultural production, damage to infrastructure and people's livelihoods, disruptions in trade flows, severe price increases, barriers to humanitarian access and large-scale displacement.
Sudanese refugees gather to assist those injured in fighting in the country's western Darfur region. Photo: MSF
"Without urgent humanitarian assistance with basic commodities, nearly 5 million people in many parts of Sudan could fall into severe food insecurity in the coming months," Griffiths wrote in a note to the UN Security Council.
As security deteriorates, some people in west and central Darfur may move to famine-hit areas to escape the fighting, he said. Cross-border aid from Chad to Darfur is a “vital lifeline,” Mr Griffiths said.
“Nearly 730,000 children across Sudan are predicted to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, including more than 240,000 in Darfur,” Mr Griffiths wrote.
Fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF began on 15 April last year. The UN estimates that nearly 25 million people – half of Sudan’s population – need aid, and some 8 million have been displaced. Famine has worsened since then.
Mr Griffiths said that since the start of the conflict in Sudan, more than 1,000 aid access incidents have been recorded that negatively impacted humanitarian operations, with 71% of incidents resulting from conflict or targeted violence against aid workers or assets.
Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)
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