in Darfur region, the ongoing war between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is killing children who represent the entire future, together with the elderly who are carrying the memories and history. The war which exceeded 485 days, according to international and United Nations’ agencies left behind a legacy of catastrophic and miserable situations. The United Nations and the American Famine Early Warning Systems Network have jointly declared Zamzam IDPs camp in Northern Darfur as a famine zone. The Coordination for IDPs and Refugees in Darfur, on the other hand, has reported that this catastrophic situation does not solely confine to Zamzam refugees’ camp, but rather engulf other 171 refugees’ camps, which are identically similar to Zamzam’s situation. The threatened camps about to reach the state of crisis and catastrophe. The causes of this famine are attributable to the ongoing war, unjustifiably groundless hindrances and obstructions of aid access to the needy and war-affected people, in addition to the natural unfavorable factors of rains and floods. Surprisingly, National Humanitarian Aid Commission (NHAC) has denied any existence of famine in Zamzam camp. While RSF, which is controlling most of Darfur region (four out of five states), blames SAF responsible for preventing and hindering the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to reach the needy people in the region and areas under their control.
Famine Declaration
The famine declaration has come in accordance to the report of United Nations Famine Review Committee, which indicated that the situation in Zamzam camp, with residents of 500 thousand displaced persons, will continue for the next two months. The American Famine Early Warning Systems Network said in its above-mentioned report, that Zamzam camp has reached the fifth phase according to the food security phase classification, this phase is called famine phase or the catastrophe phase. The American Famine Early Warning Systems Network expected the same situation of Zamzam camp to be in Abu Shouk and Alsalam IDPs camps. The report also indicated that available evidence is limited, which reduces the ability to confirm or deny this classification. SalaaMedia team contacted with Mr. Mahomed Adam Abdu-Allateef, a member of Abu Shouk Emergency Chamber, who confirmed the existence of deaths (death toll is unknown) due to lack of food in the camp. The displaced people of the camp rely on meals prepared by the solidarity kitchen of the camp’s Emergency Chamber. He said, in case the solidarity kitchen stops, for any reason from for two days or more, most IDPs in the camp will resort to beg in marketplaces and surrounding neighborhoods in order to secure or obtain food. While the General Coordination IDPs and Refugees in Darfur, said in a statement following the declaration of famine in Zamzam camp, that the situations in the other 171 displacement camps are similar to the situation of Zamzam camp, where between 20 to 25 persons die on daily basis. The statement asked for the generalization of famine declaration in the entire Darfur camps. This statement was confirmed by a member of Abu Shouk camp’s Emergency Chamber by saying that; a number of children and elderly died in the camp due to lack of food and malnutrition. While Mr. Abu-Alraheem Adam Mohammed, from Ottash camp in Nyala, confirmed the death of 25 children in the past five months due to malnutrition, he also said that the nutrition center, supported by CARE International, provides malnutrition treatments to dozens of children. Zero-website said that Alight Organization’s humanitarian assistance team, mentioned in its report that, there are always four children die on daily basis in Kalma camp, in South Darfur, due to malnutrition related implications.
By examining United Nations and press reports collected by SalaaMedia team; the United Nations estimated that famine is occurring in most or large parts of Darfur region. The technical team working on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification – which conducted an analysis on famine risks in 16 areas and camps in Darfur region – concluded that, during the period of June to next September 2024, more than 430 thousand persons in the entire five states of Darfur region will be at phase five (catastrophe).
Counter-accusations between the Warring Parties
The National Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) – in a statement, denied the provisions of report from the Network for Early Warning Systems on famine. The statement said “HAC is ruling-out these allegations”, but it confirmed – at the same time – that shortage of food and humanitarian aid is due to the cordon and siege imposed by RSF on Alfashir, While General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, Commander of the Sudan Armed Forces, in his conversation with Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, accused the RSF of subjecting Zamzam camp’s people to starvation. Meanwhile, the RSF is holding SAF responsible for starvation in Darfur region, due to their continual refusal to allow humanitarian assistance to reach the affected people who are under their control.
Causes of Famine
Based on data/ information collected by SalaaMedia, the causes behind the continuation of the famine in Darfur are because of; the continuation of war between the two belligerents parties and their allied groups; the hindrance and obstruction of government forces to the humanitarian aid to reach the affected people in the region, in addition to the natural factors (rains and floods). Tony Harward, the UN Deputy Representative for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in an interview with Sudan Tribune, revealed that the two warring parties are the main factor behind the famine in Darfur region. Previously, United States of America has expressed its concerns and worries about the decision taken by Sudan Armed Forces to ban the entry of the humanitarian aid across the Chadian borders in addition to disturbing humanitarian workers while trying to deliver life-saving aid and items to the affected people.
Sources confirmed to SalaaMedia in Buram town of South Darfur that, the rainy reason has resulted in blocked the main trade routes linking up the town with Republic of South Sudan, such has negatively contributed to shortages in food supplies and increase prices of essential commodities.
There are also some factors related to the border crossings which have negatively contributed to the exacerbation of the famine in Darfur region. Operations Director at UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, Mr. Edeem Wosorno said in one of Security Council sessions that the life-saving humanitarian aid is ready to be shipped to Zamzam in North Darfur, but the warring parties will not allow passage, and humanitarian workers are no longer able to access additional supplies in eastern Chad due to heavy rains which blocked the only cross border route from Al Tina town.
Within that context, Mr. Michael Dunford, the Regional Director for World Food Program (WFP) for East Africa said “we need to be able to use Adre border crossing and move aid from Port Sudan to reach the vulnerable people across Darfur region.” Knowing that the authorities in Port Sudan has previously approved the passage of humanitarian aid through (Altina, Port Sudan, Halfa, Alrenk, in addition to Al Ubayyid, Kadugli, and Alfashir airports) but they refused later to allow it pass through Adre crossing on the Chadian border.
The International Efforts
According to Toby Harward, the deputy Representative of United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there have been international endeavors and efforts since the beginning of the war but they are not enough to confront the threat of famine in Sudan. He said that, the international organization has called on several local, National and international levels for unrestricted access to all the vulnerable people, and urged the warring parties to commit to respecting the International Humanitarian law. While the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees stated that the need to move urgently has become vital to avoid further deaths and suffering in Sudan. In the same context, Kari Skao, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), said that the situation in Sudan has not received the attention it deserve, and that there is an urgent need for concerted diplomatic efforts and more resources to enhance the humanitarian response. Meanwhile, Eden Wosorno, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the United Nations, indicated that the humanitarian appeal for Sudan is only 32% funded, having received $874 million out of the $2.7 billion required.
Based on evidence and data gathered by SalaaMedia team on the worsening famine in Darfur, Reuters identified 14 graves in five settlements across Darfur that have expanded rapidly in recent months, with newly dug graves growing three times faster in the first half of this year than in the second half of last year, these graves are a telltale sign of famine. The analysis points to a disproportionate increase in graves near these camps in particular, with Zamzam 26% faster growth between mid-December 2023 and early May 2024. According to interviews with community leaders, the main causes of death in the camps were malnutrition with related diseases. The analysis clearly shows how the denial of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, has cost lives and still continues to do so.