“UN WFP has managed to bring desperately needed food and nutritional supplies to Darfur; “This is the first WFP assistance to arrive in this war-torn region in months,” said Leni Kinzli, WFP Communications Officer in Sudan.
The convoys crossed into Sudan from Chad in late March carrying enough food and nutritional supplies for 250,000 people facing acute hunger in northern, western and central Darfur.
Constant flow needed
Despite this positive development, the UN agency's spokesman warned that unless the people of Sudan receive a constant flow of aid “through all possible humanitarian corridors from neighboring countries and across battle lines “, the situation of the country The hunger catastrophe will only get worse.
Last month, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned that the war in Sudan risks triggering the world's worst hunger crisis unless families in Sudan and those who have fled to South Sudan and Chad receive the food assistance they desperately need.
This requires unlimited access, faster clearances and funding to provide a humanitarian response that meets the enormous needs of civilians affected by the devastating war.
What is at stake in humanitarian matters
Ensuring safe and consistent access to aid to Darfur “has been extremely difficult.”” explained WFP's Kinzli, adding that the situation has been further complicated by the decision by the head of the Sudanese armed forces based in Port Sudan to deny permission to aid workers trying to reach Darfur from Chad.
Delayed response
“Fierce fighting, lack of security and lengthy clearances from warring parties have caused delays in the distribution of this assistance. to people in need,” Mrs. Kinzli insisted. “WFP and our partners urgently need security guarantees and conflict reduction so that supplies in North Darfur can be distributed to people struggling to find even one basic meal a day.”
The UN agency reported Friday that Last week, 37 trucks crossed with 1,300 tons of supplies to Western Darfur from Adre, Chad, and that food distributions were taking place in Western and Central Darfur.
Last year, WFP helped one million people in Western and Central Darfur with food transported through the Adre crossing in Chad.
Another 16 trucks carrying around 580 tonnes of supplies entered North Darfur from the Tina border crossing in Chad on March 23, the WFP said.
A few days later, another six trucks carrying 260 metric tons of food arrived in the area from Port Sudan – the first aid shipment to be transported across conflict lines in six months.
But the UN agency noted that “fierce fighting, lack of security and lengthy authorizations from the warring parties” had caused delays in the distribution of this assistance.
Geneina in crisis
“It is not clear whether we will be able to continue and regularly use the cross-border crossing [route] from Adre to West Darfur, which is very critical because West Darfur is among the most food insecure areas in Sudan,” the WFP official said.
This is especially the case in Geneina, capital of Western Darfur, where the UN agency said that “many vulnerable women” reportedly broke into one of the distribution points.out of desperation because there was not enough food for everyone”.
Over the past four or five years, Geneina is also the place “where we see the highest levels of hunger in the lean season,” Kinzli said.
The war in Sudan between rival generals that broke out last April has driven hunger to record levels, with 18 million people face acute malnutrition. In Darfur, 1.7 million people already suffer from emergency hunger levels (IPC4), according to global food security experts.
“If we are not able to use that specific corridor (from Adre to West Darfur) and continue to use it and expand it through that corridor… what is going to happen to the people of West Darfur who are bearing the brunt of this conflict? , who find themselves in an unimaginable situation? said Ms Kinzli of the WFP.
