THREE MILLION SUDANESE CHILDREN FACE FAMINE

Famine could take hold of large parts of war-torn Sudan. U.N. chiefs warn 18-million people already face acute food insecurity and 3.6-million children are malnourished. It’s feared the catastrophic situation could spiral further, if agencies can’t get aid into the country.

The grim reality was spelled out by Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). There are also concerns over the sexual exploitation of women and children, and the use of child soldiers. While the question of who is winning the war in Sudan is up for debate, what’s obvious is that Sudanese people are paying the highest price.

One year and two months ago, a power struggle between the leader of the Bashir-era paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, Hemedti, and the Sudanese Army general, Burhan, sparked the war between the two. Since then, 8.9-million people have been forced to flee, according to ReliefWeb, making it the world’s biggest displacement crisis.

According to the World Food Programme, humanitarian convoys can’t cross frontlines due to security threats. A U.N.-backed report in March said immediate action was needed to ‘prevent widespread death and total collapse of livelihoods’.