WFP Chief Calls for End to Sudan War as Famine Crisis Deepens

The new executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Luke J. Lindberg, has called for an end to the fighting in Sudan as hundreds of thousands of people face famine.

During a visit to the Goz Al-Salam Camp for Internally Displaced Persons, Lindberg appealed for an end to the conflict and urged donors to provide more financial support to expand humanitarian assistance.

According to a WFP statement, the organisation provided food assistance to four million people in Sudan in August.

However, funding shortages have forced the agency to reduce its operations, leaving about 900,000 people without assistance.

The WFP is seeking $520 million in donations to provide food to 5.4 million people through April 2027.

Sudan’s humanitarian crisis worsens

Sudan’s conflict began in April 2023 after tensions between the country’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading to other parts of the country.

The war has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with approximately 34 million people, representing nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population, requiring humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.

Hundreds of thousands are facing famine conditions as access to food and essential services continues to deteriorate.

Drone attacks threaten civilians

The United Nations has also raised concerns over the growing use of drones by both sides in the conflict.

Drone attacks across Sudan have killed civilians, including children, and disrupted essential services.

The UN has warned that continued fighting and attacks on civilian areas are worsening the humanitarian situation and making it harder to deliver life-saving assistance.

Lindberg’s appeal comes as the WFP struggles to secure the funding needed to reach millions of people affected by the ongoing war.