14 nations urge action on Sudan's severe food crisis

AMMAN — Jordan, the UAE,  Morocco, Mauritania, Chad, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Seychelles, Senegal, Benin, Kenya, Sierra Leone Uganda, Mozambique and Nigeria, on Tuesday jointly stated the alarming food security situation in Sudan and the imminent risk of famine.

Released in response to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report of June 27, the statement expressed concern over Sudan's most severe levels of acute food insecurity on record, exacerbated by fourteen months of conflict.

According to the report, Sudan currently faces an unprecedented crisis, with 25.6 million people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, and 14 areas at risk of famine, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The nations expressed distress over the IPC report's findings, citing a "severe and rapid deterioration" in food security conditions. They highlighted the severe impact on civilians, including thousands of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The statement underscored the humanitarian challenges posed by escalating food insecurity, emphasising potential implications for displacement, refugee flows, and migration dynamics in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

It stressed the urgent need for a coordinated international response to address these pressing issues.

They also reiterated the UN Security Council's call on the warring parties to allow and facilitate the rapid, safe and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need, including by removing bureaucratic and other obstacles.

They also underscored the importance of facilitating the prompt issuance of visas and necessary travel permits for humanitarian workers and essential supplies, in line with resolution 2736 adopted on 13 June 2024.

The nations urged the warring parties in Sudan to immediately stop hostilities, uphold international humanitarian law, and comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. 

They called on all external actors to refrain from providing military or material support to the conflict parties, and instead advocate actions that de-escalate tensions and support peace efforts.

The statement called upon the global community to increase humanitarian assistance and align with IPC recommendations to enhance nutritional interventions, restore agricultural productivity, and bolster data collection efforts. 

It emphasised the critical importance of averting further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and mitigating the imminent risk of famine in Sudan through sustainable conflict resolution efforts.