In brief
The humanitarian crisis in el-Fasher, Sudan, escalates, with the UN warning that residents face imminent starvation due to a prolonged siege.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a grave warning about the increasing risk of starvation for families trapped in the besieged city of el-Fasher, located in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. This alert comes as the city, surrounded by paramilitary forces from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has been cut off from food deliveries by road for over a year. Local reports indicate that every day more and more residents, numbering around 250,000, are struggling against the severe food shortages stemming from the ongoing civil war that erupted in April 2023.With access to basic necessities dwindling, residents have resorted to consuming animal fodder and discarded food scraps in a desperate bid to survive. Eric Perdison, the WFP's regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, remarked on the dire situation, stating, "Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive... Lives will be lost without immediate and sustained access." Reports have also surfaced of local activists documenting starvation-related deaths, underscoring the gravity of the situation on the ground.Amid these harrowing circumstances, an eight-year-old girl named Sondos, who recently fled el-Fasher, shared her traumatic experience: “In el-Fasher there was a lot of shelling and hunger. Only hunger and bombs.” The WFP has resources ready for action, with trucks loaded with essential food and nutrition supplies awaiting safe passage guarantees to facilitate aid delivery. Following an earlier convoy in June that was attacked—leaving both the army and RSF trading blame—the UN continues to advocate for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow for the much-needed aid.The ongoing civil conflict in Sudan has intensified, leading to over 150,000 reported deaths and the displacement of around 12 million individuals since the war commenced in 2023. While claims of genocide in Darfur have arisen, the resolution of the crisis continues to hang in the balance, as residents of el-Fasher remain at the mercy of the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding around them.
