Agencies
July 17(Darfur24) The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that hunger and fear of famine are stalking Sudan, where 800,000 people remain stranded in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, without sufficient food, water or medical support.
Dr. Shibl Sahbani, the representative of the World Health Organization in Sudan, said that the fierce fighting between the warring parties made reaching El Fasher “completely impossible.”
He added at the bi-weekly press conference of United Nations agencies in Geneva today, “The states of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Al-Jazira have all become isolated from humanitarian and health aid due to the ongoing fighting.”
He stressed that the situation in Darfur is “particularly worrying, as the wounded in places like El Fasher cannot get the urgent care they need, and children, pregnant and breastfeeding women are vulnerable due to acute hunger.”
In addition to appeals to the warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians, relief teams and public infrastructure, including hospitals, in line with international humanitarian law, the UN official stressed that “access is required immediately so that we can avoid a catastrophic health situation.”
Supplies are not enough
The representative of the World Health Organization in Sudan warned that existing health care stocks had been used to supply a small number of hospitals in El Fasher, but “this is not sufficient and cannot be continued,” adding that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to negotiate with the various warring parties to allow the transfer of supplies. Relief wherever possible.
“As we speak now, there are seven trucks moving from Kordofan towards Darfur,” Sahbani said. “Just yesterday we obtained approval to transfer it to Darfur.” He added that there are also good signs about cross-border aid operations from all different parties.
He again warned that this is not enough, “because we are forced to deal with these cases on an ad hoc basis.” We need more support in the country from the various warring parties. “We also need advocacy from major powers, from those who have a certain influence on the situation.”
Shocking scene
The UN official said that while he was on an assessment mission in neighboring Chad last week, desperate refugees told him that “the main reason they are leaving Sudan now is hunger, famine.” They said it was not insecurity, not lack of access to basic services, but because we had nothing to eat there.”
He expressed his shock when a woman who fled Darfur and arrived in the Chadian city of Adre, which is located near the border with Sudan, told him that “everything we use to produce food locally, for eating, was seized by the fighters.” This woman had walked for three days with her children in search of safety, without food throughout the journey.
Sahbani warned that the humanitarian response in Sudan was still only 26 percent funded, describing the emergency as “one of the worst emergencies in the world.”
“If we do not get a ceasefire, we can at least get protection for civilians and open humanitarian corridors,” he said.
Geneva talks
In another development, the United Nations spokeswoman in Geneva, Alessandra Vellucci, told reporters on Tuesday that the delegations of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which are participating in talks in Geneva under the leadership of the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, are “engaged” in the talks.
She added that Lamamra and his team made several contacts with each of them earlier this week.