United Nations officials on Tuesday appealed for $6 billion for Sudan this year from donors to help alleviate what they called the worst humanitarian disaster in world history and the massive displacement of people caused by the civil war, Reuters reports.
The United Nations appeal represents an increase of more than 40 percent over last year's appeal for Sudan, at a time when aid budgets around the world are under severe stress, in part because of a funding freeze announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs around the world.
The United Nations says the funds are needed because the impact of the 22-month war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has already displaced a fifth of the population and caused serious mass starvation among about half the population, is likely to worsen the situation.
The head of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, speaking to diplomats in Geneva via video link, said: "Sudan is now the epicentre of the largest and most severe food shortage the world has ever seen."
She did not provide exact figures, but Sudan's total population is currently around 48 million. Among historical world food shortages, the Bengal famine of 1943 claimed between 2 and 3 million lives, according to several estimates, while the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–1961 is believed to have killed several million people.
Mass famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including refugee camps in Darfur, the United Nations said in a statement, and the situation is expected to worsen as fighting continues and basic services collapse.
"This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and severity and requires a response that is unprecedented in its scale and intent," said the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher.
One of the camps hit by the shortage was attacked by RSF last week as the paramilitary group tries to consolidate its position in its stronghold in Darfur.
While some aid agencies say they have received exemptions from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains about the scope of aid to alleviate mass starvation.
The United Nations plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people inside the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response yet for 2025, and is requesting $4,2 billion – the rest is for those displaced by the conflict.
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