Khartoum , Feb14(Darfur 24)On Tuesday, the International Rescue Organization expressed its fear that millions of Sudanese would die of starvation, calling on the international community to increase food aid and put pressure on both sides of the conflict to negotiate.
The United Nations World Food Program said on February 2 that it had received reports of people dying of hunger, noting that it could provide food assistance on a regular basis only to one out of every 10 individuals in need.
The country director of the International Rescue Organization, Aitzaz Yousef, said in a statement obtained by Darfur 24, “We fear that 7 million people may face extreme hunger by next June.”
He added: “When people cannot get enough food, their bodies begin to weaken due to a lack of essential nutrients. “They become more vulnerable to diseases and over time they can become malnourished and even die of hunger.”
The United Nations says that 24.8 million Sudanese are in need of humanitarian assistance, of whom nearly 8 million individuals are currently facing extreme hunger.
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, speaks of 14 million children in need of assistance, expecting 3.5 million children to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, including 700,000 children who will suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
The statement called on humanitarian organizations to urgently increase food and cash aid to the Sudanese, in addition to supporting water, hygiene and sanitation.
He stressed that humanitarian actors need to be granted unrestricted access to populations in need by parties to the conflict.
While the Rapid Support shows a willingness to pass humanitarian aid to the areas under its control, the army rejects this matter under the pretext of violations committed by the former, as it can control the passage of relief due to its control over the country’s ports and airspace.
The statement called on the international community and regional stakeholders to exert continued diplomatic pressure on all parties to the conflict to ensure negotiation.
Press reports talk about the Jeddah Platform calling on the two parties to the conflict to resume negotiations this February, but the army’s condition for removing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) from the platform may hinder resumption efforts.
The government of Sudan, which is subject to the army, suspended its dealings with IGAD regarding its efforts to end the conflict, in protest against the invitation of the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, to participate in the summit held in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.