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	Syria: All parties must prioritise reconciliation and commit to a peaceful political transition by UN News, agencies   25 Apr. 2025   Briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria by Joyce Msuya, ASG for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator:   "Allow me to acknowledge the participation of Minister Al-Shaibani in today’s meeting, which is an important signal of how timely and critical this discussion is for Syria. Special Envoy Pedersen has set out the complexity of the challenges Syria is navigating, as its people seek to seize a historic opportunity for a better future.   And all of this is taking place against the backdrop of what remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises: Nearly three quarters of the population are in need; more than half are facing food insecurity; 7 million people are displaced.   Today, I want to highlight four main points for this Council’s attention.   First, while we welcome the significant reductions in hostilities, we must keep a clear focus on de-escalating conflict where it persists and ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.   The improving security situation in parts of Aleppo governorate and north-east Syria in recent weeks – following agreements between the interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces – has already had tangible benefits for civilians.   Attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure have receded. Movement restrictions have eased in parts of Aleppo city. Thousands of people displaced in the north-east are preparing to return to Afrin.   Following an agreement on joint administration of the Tishreen Dam in eastern Aleppo, UNICEF and other partners are coordinating with relevant authorities on expanding the supply of power from the dam to water facilities serving over 3 million people.   In the Coastal areas, despite a marked improvement in the security situation, incidents affecting civilians continue to be reported. Tens of thousands of people remain displaced, including over 30,000 people who have fled to Lebanon. The UN is working with local partners to deliver critical assistance, although insecurity continues to limit access to many rural areas.   During the past month, Israeli air strikes continued in various locations, and incursions in southern governorates have led to armed confrontations on multiple occasions. Some incidents have resulted in civilian casualties.   Meanwhile, explosive remnants of war continue to injure or kill people – including children – on a near-daily basis. More than 700 casualties have been recorded since December 8 – an average of more than five people each day.   The second point I would like to highlight is that we continue to provide critical assistance to millions of people each month; and to do so in a way that maximizes our limited resources.   The UN and its partners are providing support for health and water facilities that have been hollowed by years of conflict and under-investment.   This month, the World Health Organization is providing essential medicines to health facilities in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartous to enable treatment for over 100,000 patients with chronic illnesses in the next three months; and – with support from CERF, the OCHA-managed Central Emergency Response Fund – delivered 2.7 tons of trauma surgery kits, essential medicines and other emergency supplies to hospitals in Deir ez-Zor in the north-east. NGOs have begun rehabilitating hospitals damaged by years of war in areas like Rural Damascus and Idleb.   Alongside providing clean water and sanitation services to displaced families in IDP sites, UNICEF and partners are rehabilitating 180 water and sanitation facilities, including water treatment plants in cities, water pumping stations and sanitation plants.   Since December, over 2,000 unexploded ordnance items have been securely discarded in more than 1,400 clearance operations.   We continue to provide vital assistance – including food, household items and support for clean water – to people affected by last month’s violence in coastal areas.   And we continue to pursue all available routes to provide aid as efficiently as possible. Since the start of the year, 960 trucks have delivered aid through the cross-border operation from Türkiye – a relatively cost-effective route – more trucks than during the whole of 2024. On Tuesday, for example, 24 trucks carried food and other supplies for over 55,000 people though the Bab al-Hawa crossing.   However, Mr. President – and this brings me to my third point – we need more funding to sustain this work, let alone scale it further.   To date, we have received US$186 million – less than 10 per cent of the requirements for the first half of 2025. This continues to translate into serious consequences for our response. UNHCR expects its team in Syria to shrink by 30 per cent, at a time when the need to support refugee returns is growing. Nearly half of UNHCR’s 122 community centres will close by the summer without more funding.   WFP has warned that it needs $100 million to avoid a disruption in food assistance in August. Many NGOs – particularly in the north-east – are facing particularly alarming shortfalls.   In Deir ez-Zor, hospitals serving over 200,000 people are at risk of closing next month without additional funding. In the north-west, over 170 health facilities risk running out of funds by the end of next month.   My final point, Mr. President, is that we need to sustain momentum for investment in Syria’s recovery and development. Without this, the scale of humanitarian needs will far exceed our ability to respond to them.   Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have expressed their desire to return home will continue to be dissuaded by a lack of basic services and livelihood opportunities. And the hope to seize this critical opportunity to build a more prosperous future risks slipping away.   http://www.unocha.org/news/security-council-ocha-calls-urgent-funding-syria-crisis-stressing-civilians-cannot-endure http://tinyurl.com/4vhx8zx6 http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/united-nations-special-envoy-syria-geir-o-pedersen-briefing-security-council-25-april-2025 http://reliefweb.int/country/syr   http://www.unhcr.org/news/speeches-and-statements/high-commissioner-s-statement-brussels-syria-conference-0 http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/march/syria-brussels-conference-funding-must-help-transition-into-self-reliance http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/standing-syria-ninth-brussels-conference http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/statement-paulo-pinheiro-chair-independent-international-commission-inquiry-syrian-arab-republic-58th-session-un-human-rights-council-18-march-2025 http://www.unocha.org/syrian-arab-republic http://www.undp.org/arab-states/press-releases/accelerating-economic-recovery-critical-reversing-syrias-decline-and-restoring-stability   10 Mar. 2025 (UN News, agencies)   More than 1,000 people reportedly killed in fierce fighting in Syria’s coastal northwest.   According to Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East at least 13 children reported to have been killed.   Clashes erupted on Friday between Syrian Caretaker Authority forces and soldiers loyal to the former Assad regime.   According to widely reported eyewitness accounts much of the killing occurred in Alawite neighbourhoods in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, the traditional stronghold of support for the former regime. The Assad family belongs to the sect which is an offshoot of Shia Islam constituting around ten per cent of Syria’s population.   Authorities announced on Monday that the operation had ended, amid reports of civilian casualties, mass displacement and infrastructure damage, including to at least six hospitals and several ambulances.   “The escalation reportedly caused additional civilian casualties and injuries, the displacement of thousands of families, and damage to critical infrastructure,” Mr. Beigbeder said in a statement.   He called on all parties to prioritise reconciliation and commit to a peaceful political transition, ensuring that Syria’s children can survive, thrive, and reach their full potential.   “The children of Syria have suffered enough. They have the right to live in peace and hope for a better future,” he stressed.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the violent escalation, especially the reports of widespread summary killings which includes “entire families”, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.   “The Secretary-General calls on all parties to protect civilians and stop inflammatory rhetoric and actions, as Syria contends with the legacy of 14 years of conflict and over five decades of authoritarian rule,” Mr. Dujarric told reporters.   The UN chief took note of the announcement by caretaker authorities of an investigative committee and a committee for the preservation of civil peace, stressing the urgency of inclusive and transparent transitional justice and lasting reconciliation measures.   Mr. Guterres also warned of escalating tensions between different communities in Syria, calling for full accountability. “In a context of widespread disinformation and heightened tensions, the Secretary-General also highlights the need to ensure and protect the space for independent media and human rights organizations to carry out their work of monitoring and verification and to shed light in a transparent manner on the reports and allegations,” Mr. Dujarric said.   Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also voiced deep concern over the latest violence.   “These events, as well as the continuous spike in hate speech both online and offline, illustrate once again the urgent need for a comprehensive transitional justice process that is nationally owned, inclusive, and centred on truth, justice and accountability,” he said.   Mr. Dujarric highlighted the devastating impact of the violence on civilians. “As of yesterday, hundreds of people, including women and children, and medical personnel had been reportedly killed, thousands have ben reportedly been displaced, and many have fled into Lebanon seeking safety,” he said. He also reported extensive damage to critical infrastructure. According to UN estimates, 16.5 million people across Syria require humanitarian assistance.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1160946 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder-1 http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/march/syria-renewed-violence-threatens-countrys-path-to-peace http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/syria-un-commission-calls-renewed-commitment-peace-justice-and-human-rights http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/children-among-over-1000-people-killed-renewed-fighting-syria-45000-displaced http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/joint-statement-un-resident-coordinator-and-humanitarian-coordinator-syria-adam-abdelmoula-and-regional-humanitarian-coordinator-syria-crisis-ramanathan-balakrishnan-recent-hostilities-syria-8-march-2025-enar   Dec. 2024   The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine. (UN News, agencies)   After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the Assad regime, today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday.   As reports emerged from the Syrian capital, Damascus, that opposition forces had declared victory overnight on State television.   The dramatic development in the Syrian capital follows a lightning advance by armed opposition forces, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), on 27 November from their stronghold in the country’s northwest into Government-controlled areas, supported by rebel groups joining from the south. After sweeping into Syria’s second city, Aleppo, Hama, Homs and now Damascus have fallen in quick succession.   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: "The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine, and my Special Envoy Geir Pedersen will be working with them towards that end. There is much work to be done to ensure an orderly political transition to renewed institutions. I reiterate my call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time, while protecting the rights of all Syrians, without distinction".   "We will need the support of the international community to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity".   "Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored. The United Nations remains committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity are shared realities for all. This is the path to sustainable peace in Syria".   Statement by United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen:   "Obviously today it’s really a watershed moment in the history of Syria. It’s a nation that has endured 14 years nearly of relentless suffering and unspeakable loss. And let me once again extend my deepest solidarity to all who have borne the weight of death, destruction, detention, and untold human rights violations.   This dark chapter has left deep scars, but today we look forward with cautious hope to the opening of a new time - one of peace, reconciliation, dignity, and inclusion for all Syrians.   To those displaced, this moment renews the vision of returning to homes once lost. To families separated by war, the beginning of reunions bring hope. To those unjustly detained, and the families of the detained and the missing, the opening of the prisons reminds us of justice’s eventual reach.   But the challenges ahead remain immense and we hear those who are anxious and apprehensive. Yet this is the moment to embrace the possibility for renewal in Syria. The resilience of the Syrian people offers a path forward to a united and peaceful Syria.   But to this end, let me emphasize the clear desire expressed by millions of Syrians that stable and inclusive transitional arrangements are put in place urgently, and that the Syrian institutions continue to function, and that the Syrian people are enabled to begin to chart the path to meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and restore a unified Syria, with its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in a way that can receive the support and engagement of the entire international community.   I have heard in the last few days and in the last few hours a message from many Syrians, including armed groups and civil society, both women and men, and have noted public statements underlining a will to protect their fellow Syrians and state institutions going forward against retribution and harm.   And this is important, let me also echo these statements and issue a clear and unambiguous appeal at this hour that all armed actors on the ground maintain good conduct, law and order, protect civilians and preserve public institutions.   Let me urge all Syrians to prioritize dialogue, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law, and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society. Let me stress that there must be a collective effort to secure peace and dignity for all. And that I stand ready to support the Syrian people in their journey towards a stable and inclusive future decided and shaped by the Syrian people themselves.   Today let’s honor the memory of those who have suffered for decades by committing to help Syrians build a Syria where justice, freedom, and prosperity are shared realities. Let us stand in solidarity with Syrians to help them ensure that this new chapter is one of hope and opportunity for every Syrian".   Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:   "In Syria yesterday, we saw a regime driven from power following decades of brutal repression, and after nearly 14 years of relentless conflict. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost during this time, more than 100,000 people disappeared, and some 14 million were driven from their homes, often in the most atrocious circumstances. I’ve met many of them over the years, witnessed their despair and trauma as they bore testimony to the most serious human rights violations committed against them, including torture and the use of chemical weapons.   Yesterday, Syrians took to the streets with much hope and much anxiety for the future. Hope that this would be an opportunity for the country to build a future grounded in human rights, freedom and justice. And anxiety because so much is uncertain.   Any political transition must ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious violations, and guarantee that those responsible are held to account. It is imperative that all evidence be collected and preserved meticulously for future use. Reform of the security apparatus will be key. This transition must also ensure that the tragedy of missing people is addressed.   Hostilities are reportedly ongoing in some parts of Syria, including in the northeast. It is really important, imperative in fact, that all parties abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law. All measures must be taken to ensure the protection of all minorities, and to avert reprisals and acts of revenge.   The only way forward is a nationally owned political process that brings an end to the litany of suffering, fulfils the aspirations of all Syrians, and ensures truth, justice, reparation, healing and reconciliation.   It is essential that the human rights of all Syrians are at the core of such a process, through meaningful and inclusive participation, including notably of women and young people. Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored".   ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria Stephan Sakalian on the humanitarian situation in Syria:   Damascus (ICRC) — Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).   The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) is responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance. We call on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law".   OCHA: In 2024, 16.7 million people are assessed to need humanitarian assistance across Syria. Of the 16.7 million people in need, 5.5 million are displaced. Millions of others continue to live as refugees in neighbouring countries and beyond. After 12 years of hostilities and persistent economic crisis, people in Syria saw their situation worsen when a series of earthquakes hit northern Syria and Turkiye on 6 and 20 February 2023 amplifing vulnerabilities.   UNICEF, WHO, Whole of Syria Nutrition Cluster:   "In Syria the dietary intake of infants and young children aged 6-23 months is extremely poor with majority of children 6-23 months (68%) in Syria experiencing child food poverty. With the deteriorating access to nutritious foods, essential services and feeding practices, the diets of young children are the risk of deteriorating further. At least 1 in 4 children in Syria suffers from anemia, emphasizing the detrimental effects of sub-optimal diets lacking essential nutrients. On maternal nutrition, 1 in 4 women aged 15-49 years suffers from anemia, with an even higher prevalence observed among teenage girls, where 1 in 2 girls is anemic. Additionally, 1 in 10 women is wasted, contributing to increased risks during pregnancy.".   Othman Moqbel, CEO, Action For Humanity and Syria Relief:   "This is undoubtedly a historic day for the Syrian people, the Middle East and the entire world. Whilst many around the world never believed this day would happen, most Syrians never stopped hoping and praying this day would come. It is a new chapter, however the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people are still great.   "We still have widespread extreme poverty, food insecurity, poor access to water and millions of people displaced from their homes. We anticipate we will see many people returning back to their homes in Syria now, which will create further pressure on services and resources - and due to a decade and a half of war - many homes and buildings have been destroyed. We pray the new chapter in the lives of Syrians is a stable and peaceful one. No doubt, there is a huge demand for humanitarian aid across Syria."   Statement from The White Helmets (Syria Civil Defence) to the Syrian People on the Collapse of the Regime:   "After nearly fourteen years of suffering under the Assad regime, marked by killings, enforced disappearances, displacement and destruction, this historic moment signals the dawn of a new era rooted in citizenship, justice, and collective efforts to build a nation where justice and equality prevail".   "The collapse of the oppressive regime is a significant milestone in the Syrian people's long struggle. It represents a pivotal step toward securing their rightful aspirations for freedom and dignity. This moment provides a historic chance to foster societal peace, preserve the unity of Syria's territories, strengthen communal harmony, and establish a foundation of justice and equality among all segments of Syrian society. It is an opportunity to build a state governed by the rule of law and inclusive institutions, embodying the hopes and dreams of the Syrian people".   "The White Helmets (Syria Civil Defence), which has stood unwaveringly by the Syrian people calls on all Syrian parties, particularly armed groups, to protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law, and refrain from political interference. The Syrian people have endured enough suffering under military rule".   "We urge the international community to support the Syrian people during this critical phase, enabling them to determine their future freely and democratically through a transparent and independent transitional process.   We appeal to the United Nations, its agencies, and donor countries to bolster local humanitarian workers and Syrian organizations to ensure effective emergency responses that address the escalating needs of returning residents. In addition, we emphasize the importance of launching projects that create job opportunities and advance economic development, providing a solid foundation for Syria’s recovery and growth.   This moment demands unity, resilience, and unwavering commitment to building a just and prosperous future for all Syrians. Together, we can turn the page and begin a new chapter of hope and progress".   http://www.unocha.org/news/now-time-invest-syrias-future-un-deputy-relief-chief-tells-security-council http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/paving-road-hopeful-and-inclusive-future-syria-free-violence-and-hardship http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2025/02/17/us-aid-freezes-escalate-syria-crisis http://www.care.org/news-and-stories/women-leading-survival-and-recovery-in-syria/ http://www.passblue.com/2025/02/17/syrian-womens-groups-voice-their-hopes-openly-in-damascus http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1157956 http://news.un.org/en/tags/syria http://specialenvoysyria.unmissions.org/transcript-press-stakeout-united-nations-special-envoy-syria-mr-geir-o-pedersen-0 http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/syria-icrc-calls-safe-humanitarian-access-and-protection-civilians-0 http://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/never-again-un-syria-commission-urges-incoming-authorities-break-cycle-violence-and-usher-new-rights-respecting-era http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/statement-on-the-developing-situation-in-syria http://news.un.org/en/interview/2024/12/1158151 http://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/syria/priorities-after-assads-fall http://odi.org/en/insights/tens-thousands-people-forcibly-disappeared-syria/ http://reliefweb.int/country/syr http://news.un.org/en/tags/syria
	Sudan’s warring parties must commit to a cease-fire, ensure access to humanitarian assistance by OHCHR, WFP, IRC, NRC, Save the Children, agencies   Apr 2025   Statement by Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis:   “This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed.   “We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive.   Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet.   We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan.   “Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives.   “I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.”   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/port-sudan-drone-attacks-call-protect-civilian-infrastructure-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/sudan-un-expert-calls-end-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure-amidst http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-experts-demand-international-action-human-rights-violations-escalate http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/9355/2025/en/ http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162771 http://news.un.org/en/focus/sudan-conflict http://news.un.org/en/tags/sudan http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories?responses=30   http://www.msf.org/people-fleeing-zamzam-camp-arrive-overwhelmed-humanitarian-response-tawila http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-3-2-may-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/civilians-trapped-children-risk-amid-escalating-violence-darfur http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/massive-scale-needed-more-ever-rainy-season-msf-warns-european-parliament-sudan-crisis http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/forced-displacement-north-darfur-overwhelms-aid-operations-and-increases-civilian-vulnerability http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-01-15-april-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-23-children-and-9-aid-workers-reportedly-killed-al-fasher-abu-shouk-and-zamzam http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attacks-zamzam-and-abu-shouk-camps-and-al-fasher-must-end-now-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-turk-gravely-concerned-rising-civilian-deaths-and-widespread-sexual http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-deplores-darfur-killings-conflict-enters-third http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162116 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162131 http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-access-preposition-food-sudan-rainy-season-risks-cutting-roads-starving http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/ http://dataviz.unhcr.org/product-gallery/2025/04/sudan-crisis-deepens-but-attention-wanes-after-two-years-of-war http://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency http://www.iom.int/sudan-conflict-two-years http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-new-report-sheds-light-two-years-devastation-sudan http://www.msf.org/two-years-war-sudan-leave-millions-more-need-ever http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-two-years-unraveling-worlds-largest-humanitarian-disaster-sahel-red-sea-0   17 Mar. 2025   Sudan: In North Darfur, conditions at Zamzam camp worsen amid siege   OCHA warns that the ongoing siege on Zamzam camp, outside the city of El Fasher, Sudan, is deepening the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians who are struggling to survive after months of famine.   The crisis at the camp has worsened during Ramadan, with food shortages growing even more severe. Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed, making essential items unaffordable for most families. Partners on the ground report signs of growing hunger. Zamzam is a site in which famine conditions were identified last July and reconfirmed in December.   Armed attacks continue along the route between Zamzam and El Fasher, with multiple casualties and injuries reported. Despite severe access challenges, humanitarian teams are providing food, water and urgent medical care, but needs are far outpacing available resources. The situation has become even more critical due to funding cuts and the withdrawal of most aid organizations assisting in the area due to insecurity. This comes after WFP and Medecins Sans Frontieres were forced to suspend operations in Zamzam last month.   OCHA is also concerned that conditions are also deteriorating in parts of Khartoum State. Local volunteer aid workers report severe malnutrition and critical shortages of medicines in the district of Sharg An Nil. They say malnutrition is widespread among children and pregnant women. Lack of food is a major problem due to the closure of most community kitchens. Two weeks ago, front-line aid workers recorded more than 800 cases of severe child malnutrition, with numbers continuing to rise. Meanwhile, cases of anemia, hepatitis, night blindness and malaria are increasing due to the critical shortage of medicines in the few remaining functional health facilities.   There are also very serious concerns over reports of grave human rights violations in Khartoum as fighting rages and lines of control shift rapidly.   OCHA stresses that the scale of suffering in Sudan is staggering, and without swift intervention, the consequences will be devastating for millions. We call once again for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver life-saving aid.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/825000-children-trapped-conflict-rages-sudans-al-fasher-and-zamzam-internally http://www.msf.org/msf-briefing-sudan-un-security-council http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/04/hundreds-killed-rsf-attacks-sudans-north-darfur http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/apr/18/survivors-attack-sudan-zamzam-camp-rapid-support-forces-paramilitaries http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/families-fleeing-attacks-sudans-zamzam-camp-arrive-injured-traumatised-nothing-eat-save-children   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/15/world-leaders-need-help-end-atrocities-sudan http://www.refugeesinternational.org/advocacy-letters/joint-statement-genocide-returns-to-darfur/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/sudan-rapid-support-forces-horrific-and-widespread-use-of-sexual-violence-leaves-lives-in-tatters/ http://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/world/africa/sudan-usaid-famine.html http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/sudan/   27 Feb. 2025   WFP, MSF forced to pause food distributions, medical care in Sudan's Zamzam camp as fighting intensifies   Intense fighting in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region has forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to pause the distribution of life-saving food and nutrition assistance in the famine-hit camp for displaced people. Over the past two weeks escalating violence left WFP’s partners with no choice but to evacuate staff for safety.   “Without immediate assistance, tens of thousands of desperate families in Zamzam could starve in the coming weeks,” said Laurent Bukera, Regional Director for Eastern Africa and acting Country Director for Sudan. “We must resume the delivery of life-saving aid in and around Zamzam safely, quickly and at scale. For that the fighting must stop, and humanitarian organizations must be granted security guarantees.”   In February, WFP and its humanitarian partners only managed to provide 60,000 out of 500,00 people with food vouchers, when heavy shelling forced the pause of aid operations earlier this month. The food vouchers allow families to purchase essential food supplies directly from local markets which WFP helps to keep stocked through its local network.   The recent violence left Zamzam’s Central Market destroyed by shelling, pushing residents of the camp – estimated to be around 500,000 people – further away from accessing essential food and supplies.   Edem Wosornu, the U.N. humanitarian operations director, told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that satellite imagery showed heavy weapons were used in and around the camp in recent weeks.   “Terrified civilians, including humanitarian workers, were unable to leave the area when the fighting was most intense,” she said, adding that many people were killed including aid workers.   Earlier this week, the Doctors Without Borders medical charity said it paused its operations, including its field hospital, in the camp due to intensified attacks.   WFP and other partners have been working to deliver food and nutrition assistance to displaced people in and around North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. These people will not receive support until WFP is able to safely resume activities and get humanitarian assistance to the area.   “Millions of people are facing famine or at risk across Sudan. We are trying every possible way to get vital aid into the hands of people whose lives hang in the balance,” Bukera said.   In 2024, two out of every three people in famine or risk of famine areas received WFP assistance. However, access remains highly sporadic, and two million people in 27 locations across Sudan are currently experiencing, or on the brink of, famine. Regular deliveries to starving communities are the only way to push back the famine in Sudan.   Aid groups have made pleas for humanitarian access for months in Zamzam and elsewhere, with very limited success. The U.N.’s top humanitarian official in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, has accused the RSF fighters and allies of preventing life-saving aid from reaching desperate people in Darfur. The RSF and allied militias control much of the region. They have been accused of ethnically motivated killing and rape, the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-forced-pause-food-distributions-sudans-zamzam-camp-fighting-intensifies http://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-crisis-requires-unprecedented-action-ocha-tells-security-council http://www.msf.org/sudan-msf-forced-halt-our-activities-violence-engulfs-zamzam-camp-north-darfur   17 Feb. 2025   UN urges global action to protect and support civilians devastated by Sudan’s war.   Nearly two years of conflict have fueled a catastrophic protection crisis and displaced a staggering 12 million people in Sudan and across borders.   Fighting continues to kill and injure civilians and destroy hospitals, markets and other essential infrastructure. Nearly two-thirds of the population need emergency aid, and the country is facing famine conditions. Refugees in dire need arrive in neighbouring countries where local resources are already stretched thin.   In response, the United Nations and partners today launch the 2025 humanitarian and refugee response plans for Sudan, appealing for a combined US$6 billion to assist nearly 26 million people inside the country and in the region.   “Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. “Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages.   Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling. But our plan is a lifeline to millions. We need to stop the fighting, the funding to deliver for the Sudanese people, and better access by land, sea and air to those who need help.”   “Today, one-third of Sudan’s entire population is displaced. The consequences of this horrific and senseless conflict spread far beyond Sudan’s borders,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.   “Neighbouring countries have shown great solidarity by welcoming refugees, even when more are arriving every day. But their resources are stretched – essentials such as water, shelter and health services are scarce – and Sudan needs urgent support.   The international community must step up and help, not just to ensure that emergency aid and life-saving protection can continue without disruption, but also to end the violence and restore peace to Sudan.”   Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan including displacement camps in Darfur and in the western Nuba Mountains. Catastrophic hunger is expected to worsen by May when the lean season begins. With continued fighting and basic services having collapsed across most of the country, the crisis is set to get worse.   The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan aims to reach nearly 21 million vulnerable people with life-saving aid and protection.   As the conflict rages on, thousands continue to flee every day. The majority arrive in an extremely vulnerable state, with high levels of malnutrition and requiring emergency assistance. To date, nearly 3.5 million people have sought safety in neighbouring countries further stretching already scarce services and resources.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudans-war-enar http://www.unocha.org/news/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudans-war http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-crisis-sudan-statement-humanitarian-coordination-forum-hcf http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-food-crisis-priority-actions-urgent-call-assistance http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-action-children-2025-sudan http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudan-s-war   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/urgent-alert-on-the-risk-of-genocide-in-north-darfur-sudan/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/sudan-entrenched-impunity-fuelling-gross-human-rights-violations-and-abuses http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-young-one-reported-among-survivors-rape-during-sudans-violent-conflict http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/remove-restrictions-allow-aid-reach-people-need-sudan-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami-enar http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attack-hospital-al-fasher-shocking-violation-and-affront-humanity-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159501 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/statement-ingo-forum-sudan-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure http://www.msf.org/sudan-malnutrition-crisis-msf-renews-call-immediate-action-prevent-death-and-starvation   18 Sep. 2024   Briefing to the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan by Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator:   Thank you for this opportunity to brief you on the humanitarian situation in Sudan. This brutal war has now lasted for 17 months, and there is no end in sight for this catastrophe.   Ten months ago, we warned the Council of the catastrophic consequences of an attack on El Fasher: a city of almost one million people, swelled with hundreds of thousands more seeking shelter after fleeing violence elsewhere.   Since April 2023, we have briefed you on the worrisome developments in El Fasher in no less than six Council meetings. And in June 2024, the Security Council called for “an immediate halt to the fighting and for de-escalation in and around El Fasher” in resolution 2736.   Regrettably, these calls have not been heeded and the humanitarian situation continues steadily to deteriorate. Since the end of last week, large-scale fighting in and around El Fasher has escalated. Shelling and aerial bombardment have been constant, and heavy.   Civilians especially women and children have been hit. Civilian sites and infrastructure – including hospitals and internally displaced persons’ camps – have been hit. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people, including more than 700,000 IDPs in and around El Fasher are at immediate threat. And our concern is mounting as we receive reports of intense shelling of central and western parts of El Fasher and deployment of additional forces.   The threats to life posed by the fighting in El Fasher are manifold. Parties to the conflict are making no efforts to protect health facilities or the civilians these facilities host. Hospitals and health facilities are being hit multiple times, rendering them non-operational. Of the three main hospitals in El Fasher, only one hospital is functioning, although only partially following an attack that caused extensive damage in August.   Severe hunger is a spiraling threat, with close to 1.7 million people in North Darfur facing acute food insecurity. In August, the Famine Review Committee confirmed that there is famine in Zamzam camp, a site hosting around half a million people, roughly 15 kilometers south of El Fasher. There are 13 other localities identified at risk of famine in North Darfur, including two other displacement sites [in North Darfur].   You will recall that in February 2024, Medecins Sans Frontieres reported that a child was dying in the Zamzam camp every two hours. Latest screening by MSF and the Ministry of Health between 1 and 5 September indicates that the situation is only getting worse. About 34 per cent of the children are malnourished, including 10 per cent who are severely malnourished. The situation is being compounded by almost impassable obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian relief.   Since May, roads into Zamzam and El Fasher have been rendered inaccessible by fighting around the city, and more recently by damage caused by heavy rains and floods. We have been repeatedly unsuccessful in our attempts to access the area.   The presence of humanitarian workers and operations in El Fasher is extremely limited, save for those local humanitarians who have stayed behind to look after their families. An inter-agency assessment in Zamzam camp on 27 August, led by partners revealed that assistance to people who have been newly displaced into the camp is very limited. There have been no international staff in El Fasher since April 2024 and non-governmental programmes have been curtailed. But we have far from given up.   We are hoping that as flood water subsides in the coming weeks, we will be able to start moving supplies to El Fasher and other areas at risk of famine.   The essential factors for effectively addressing this grave situation will be a de-escalation in the fighting, as well as the willingness of the parties to facilitate safe access.   Be in no doubt: without safe and predictable access and a steady supply of food and humanitarian supplies, we will see a dramatic spike in mortality – including children – in Zamzam and in other areas around El Fasher.   The same goes for the situation across Sudan. Khartoum, Sennar, Aj Jazirah - all continue to be devastated by relentless violence. More than eight million people have now been driven from their homes, and more than two million have fled over the border.   The atrocious humanitarian situation calls for a rapid de-escalation in the conflict. We are therefore horrified by signs that the fighting will intensify as the rainy season draws to a close in the coming months. And we remain deeply troubled by the state of humanitarian access across the country.   A large-scale and unhindered humanitarian operation is required to save lives – and it is a matter of life and death. For this, it is vital that additional cross-border access is granted. It also requires immediate, safe crossline access from Port Sudan to Aj Jazirah, Sennar, Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan states, through Adabba, Shendi and Sennar.   Too many people have already lost their lives in this senseless conflict. Many more will do so unless this Council and the international community at large take decisive action.   I urge you to demand that the parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions – we urge you to ensure they do so. The parties must refrain from targeting civilians, civilian assets and essential facilities such as hospitals.   They must allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian relief via all possible crossline and cross-border routes. And they must facilitate safe passage for those fleeing the violence.   The world should not abide in El Fasher the atrocities we witnessed in West Darfur. I call on Member States to put pressure on the parties to agree to a humanitarian pause – to save lives, give civilians respite and allow us to deliver assistance.   I call on donors to provide the much-needed resources to address this unprecedented crisis. All countries with influence on the parties in Sudan must act to bring an end to this conflict, and demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Sudan. Millions of lives depend on us – it is time to act.   http://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-crisis-deepens-acting-un-relief-chief-tells-security-council-it-time-act http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-calls-end-hostilities-protection-civilians-and-unimpeded-access-enar http://reliefweb.int/country/sdn http://www.unicef.org/stories/staggering-crisis-sudan-leaves-families-reeling http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/sudan-report-hunger-reaches-historic-proportions http://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/hunger-in-sudan/   1 Aug. 2024   Famine in Sudan: IPC Famine Review Committee confirms Famine conditions in North Darfur   The Famine Review Committee (FRC) of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has concluded that famine conditions are prevalent in parts of North Darfur, including the Zamzam camp south of El Fasher. The escalating violence in Sudan, which has been persisting for over 15 months now, has severely impeded humanitarian access and pushed parts of North Darfur into Famine, notably Zamzam IDP camp.   Areas are classified in IPC Phase 5 (Famine) when at least one in five (or 20 percent) people or households have an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution, resulting in extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death.   The Zamzam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp is located approximately 12 kilometres south of El Fasher town and represents one of the largest IDP camps in Sudan, with an estimated population of at least 500,000.   The scale of devastation brought by the escalating violence in El Fasher town is profound and harrowing. Persistent, intense, and widespread clashes have forced many residents to seek refuge in IDP camps, where they face a stark reality: basic services are scant or absent, compounding the hardship of displacement. Around 320,000 people are believed to have been displaced since mid-April in El Fasher. Around 150,000 to 200,000 of them are believed to have moved to Zamzam camp in search of security, basic services, and food since mid-May. The camp population has expanded to over half a million in a few weeks.   Restrictions on humanitarian access, including intentional impediments imposed by the active parties to the conflict, have severely restricted the capability of aid organisations to scale up their response efforts effectively. These obstructions have critically hindered the delivery of necessary aid and exacerbated the food crisis, driving some households into Famine conditions. As with any Famine, there is a multi-sectoral collapse, and basic human needs for health services, water, food , nutrition, shelter, and protection are not being met.   The impacts of widespread conflict are driving the risk of Famine across many other areas of Sudan, including areas of Greater Darfur, parts of South Kordofan and Khartoum.   Famine confirmed in Sudan’s North Darfur, confirming UN agencies worst fears   “We urgently need a massive expansion of humanitarian access so we can halt the famine that has taken hold in North Darfur and stop it sweeping across Sudan. The warring parties must lift all restrictions and open new supply routes across borders, and across conflict lines, so relief agencies can get to cut-off communities with desperately needed food and other humanitarian aid,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “I also call on the international community to act now to secure a ceasefire in this brutal conflict and end Sudan’s slide into famine. It is the only way we will reverse a humanitarian catastrophe that is destabilizing this entire region of Africa.”   “Today’s news confirms some of our worst fears that famine is occurring in parts of Sudan and is inflicting unimaginable suffering on children and families who are already reeling from the impact of a horrific war,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This famine is fully man-made. We again call on all the parties to provide the humanitarian system with unimpeded and safe access to children and families in need. We must be able to use all routes, across lines of conflict and borders. Sudan’s children cannot wait. They need protection, basic services and most of all, a ceasefire and peace.”   UNICEF and WFP continue to call on all parties to guarantee safe unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, to allow the humanitarian response to be further expanded and to allow the agencies to deliver at speed. The agencies also urge the international community to intensify their financial support for humanitarian efforts and use every diplomatic tool at their disposal to bring about an immediate ceasefire WFP and UNICEF have mobilised a large-scale humanitarian response with local and international partners, inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries where more than 2 million Sudanese have fled to safety.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-107/en/ http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/famine-sudan-ipc-famine-review-committee-confirms-famine-conditions-parts-north-darfur http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1152871 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1152736 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/famine-confirmed-sudans-north-darfur-confirming-un-agencies-worst-fears http://www.wfp.org/stories/famine-sudan-wfp-calls-unfettered-access-hunger-hotspots-save-lives http://fews.net/famine-ipc-phase-5-confirmed-sudans-zamzam-idp-camp-al-fasher http://fews.net/east-africa/sudan/alert/august-2024 http://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/famine-conditions-in-parts-of-sudan--fao-urges-at-scale-life-saving-assistance-to-boost-local-food-production/en http://www.rescue.org/press-release/one-sudans-largest-idp-camps-facing-famine-conditions-irc-calls-immediate-ceasefire http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2024/sudan-crisis-people-are-dying-of-hunger/ http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/grave-malnutrition-emergency-central-south-darfur http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/un-says-famine-conditions-already-present-in-sudan/   June 2024 (UN News)   Horrific violence and the risk of famine continue to stalk the people of Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Friday, as they echoed condemnation by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of an attack on a village south of Khartoum two days ago that is now believed to have left more than 100 dead.   “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack reportedly carried out on 5 June by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Wad Al-Noura village, Jazira state, which is said to have killed over 100 people,” his Spokesperson said in a statement overnight, which also underscored “the immense suffering of the Sudanese population as a result of the continued hostilities”.   “It is high time for all parties to silence their guns across Sudan and commit to a path towards sustainable peace for the Sudanese people.”   Briefing journalists in Geneva from Port Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, the UN migration agency (IOM)’s chief of mission in the country, highlighted “truly horrifying reports of violent attacks and casualties” in the village of Wad Al-Noura in Aj Jazirah state on Wednesday. His comments came as unconfirmed video images showed dozens of bodies laid out for burial in the village following a reported assault by heavily armed RSF fighters, some 112 kilometres (70 miles) from the capital.   At least 35 children were believed to be among the dead, drawing strong condemnation from UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell.   “This is yet another grim reminder of how the children of Sudan are paying the price for the brutal violence,” she said in a statement late Thursday. “Over the past year, thousands of children have been killed and injured. Children have been recruited, abducted and subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence. Over five million children have been forced from their homes.   The UN’s top human rights official also expressed his shock upon learning of the killings in Wad Al-Noura, maintaining that the RSF had “used weapons with wide-area effects, including artillery shells, during the attack”.   “These killings add to my existing, serious concerns about the adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution under international humanitarian law by those involved in the fighting,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.   “Those responsible for unlawful killings must be held accountable. How many more Sudanese civilians must die before the parties to the conflict stop the fighting?”   At another flashpoint of the conflict, in North Darfur’s capital El Fasher in Sudan’s west, some 800,000 civilians are still in danger, amid intensified fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the rival RSF.   The location remains “inaccessible” to the UN either cross-line or cross-border, Mr. Refaat said. He called for all parties to facilitate unimpeded aid access to the area “through all available routes” and stressed that the prices of water and fuel there have “skyrocketed”, making essentials unaffordable.   Internal displacement in Sudan since the start of the conflict on 15 April last year has almost reached the 10 million mark, IOM’s Mr. Refaat noted, with food insecurity an increasing factor in people’s decision to flee. Some 18 million people in the country are acutely hungry while 3.6 million children are acutely malnourished.   In addition to the internally displaced, over two million people have fled across Sudan’s borders into neighbouring countries, mainly Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, “often arriving in extremely vulnerable conditions and highly traumatized”, Mr. Refaat stressed.   Echoing his comments, Alpha Seydi Ba, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)’s regional spokesperson for West and Central Africa, spoke of the devastating situation in Chad, where over 600,000 Sudanese have arrived since the start of the crisis. “You've seen people coming on a daily basis by dozens in a very, very bad shape, and most of them are women, children who have experienced an unimaginable, unimaginable trauma,” he said.   Chad already hosted more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees before this crisis, Mr. Ba explained, before expressing the UN agency’s appreciation that the authorities “have kept their borders open”.   But responding to refugees’ basic needs such as shelter, food, access to education for children and psychological support has become increasingly challenging due to funding shortfalls.   UNHCR said that the response plan for five neighbouring countries hosting those who have fled Sudan, for a total of $1.4 billion, is only nine per cent funded. The humanitarian response inside Sudan remains only 16 per cent funded.   Meanwhile, the UN health agency WHO sounded the alarm over the dire healthcare situation in the country, warning that it was “collapsing”.   WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told journalists in Geneva that some 65 per cent of the population now lack access to care. “Healthcare in Sudan typically relied heavily on Khartoum, where the health care system was decimated,” he explained.   “Only about 25 per cent of the medical supplies needed are available in the country. In hard-to-reach areas, only 20 to 30 per cent of health facilities remain functional, and even so, at a minimal level.”   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/06/1150781 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-internal-displacement-set-top-10-million-famine-looms-iom   June 2024   No time to lose as famine stalks millions in Sudan amid intense fighting and access denials-Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee   Time is running out for millions of people in Sudan who are at imminent risk of famine, displaced from their lands, living under bombardments, and cut off from humanitarian assistance.   With the conflict now in its second year, 18 million people are acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children who are acutely malnourished, and famine is quickly closing in on millions of people in Darfur, Kordofan, Aj Jazirah and Khartoum.   Sudan is home to the largest number of internally displaced people in the world at nearly 10 million. A further 2 million people have escaped to neighbouring countries.   Horrific attacks against civilians – including sexual violence – as well as hospitals and schools are multiplying.   In Al Fasher, more than 800,000 civilians are bracing for an imminent large-scale attack, which would unleash catastrophic humanitarian consequences both in the city and across Darfur.   Despite the tremendous needs, aid workers continue to face systematic obstructions and deliberate denials of access by parties to the conflict. Movements across conflict lines to parts of Khartoum, Darfur, Aj Jazirah and Kordofan have been all but cut off since mid-December.   In March and April of this year, nearly 860,000 people were denied humanitarian aid in Kordofan, Darfur and Khartoum states. Deliberate hindrances to humanitarian assistance that leave the civilian population without the essentials to survive violate international humanitarian law.   Extreme hunger is unfolding, and the outlook for food production in 2024 is bleak. We have a rapidly shrinking window to get seeds to farmers before the main planting season ends and the rainy season begins.   If we act in time, people – especially those in inaccessible areas – will be able to produce food locally and avert food shortages in the next six months. Without immediate action, people will go hungry and be forced to move in search of food, shelter and protection.   Let us be clear: If we are prevented from providing aid rapidly and at scale, more people will die. Without an immediate and major step change, we will face a nightmare scenario: A famine will take hold in large parts of the country.   More people will flee to neighbouring countries in search of sustenance and safety. More children will succumb to disease and malnutrition. Women and girls, already bearing the brunt of the conflict, will face even greater suffering and dangers.   To prevent these worst-case scenarios, we, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Principals, urgently request the parties to the conflict to do the following:   Take immediate measures to protect civilians, including by refraining from directing attacks against them, allowing them to leave for safer areas, and ending sexual and gender-based violence. Facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access through all possible crossline and cross-border routes to allow civilians to receive humanitarian aid.   Immediately cease all acts denying, obstructing and interfering with, or politicizing, humanitarian action. Simplify and expedite administrative and bureaucratic procedures related to the delivery of humanitarian aid.   De-escalate the situation in Al Fasher and adopt a nationwide ceasefire. Stop human rights violations, including grave violations against children, and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.   We are also concerned by the limited support from donors. Nearly five months into the year – and six weeks after the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours in Paris on 15 April – we've received just 16 per cent of the $2.7 billion we need.   Donors must urgently disburse pledges made in Paris and fast-track additional funding for the humanitarian appeal. With a famine on the horizon, we must deliver much more life-saving aid now. The clock is ticking.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-no-time-lose-famine-stalks-millions-sudan-amid http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudans-children-trapped-critical-malnutrition-crisis-warn-un-agencies http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/sudans-children-trapped-critical-malnutrition-crisis-warn-un-agencies   http://www.wfp.org/news/small-window-remains-avert-disaster-sudans-war-torn-regions-warns-wfp-deputy-executive http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/05/1149786 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2024/05/sudan-un-human-rights-chief-horrified-escalating-violence-el-fasher http://www.unocha.org/news/sudans-humanitarian-coordinator-calls-immediate-ceasefire-al-fasher-safeguard-civilians http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/attack-el-fasher-would-endanger-hundreds-thousands-children-warns-unicef http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/05/1149281 http://www.msf.org/sudan-msf-warns-catastrophic-malnutrition-crisis-zamzam-camp-amidst-escalating-violence-north   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/04/sudan-conflict-enters-its-second-year-un-fact-finding-mission-says-warring http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/april/sudan-summit-pledges-of-funding-and-diplomatic-pressure-must-materialise-quickly/ http://www.icrc.org/en/document/speech-icrc-president-at-humanitarian-conference-sudan-and-neigborhing-countries http://actionaid.org/news/2024/21-billion-pledges-sudan-crisis-step-right-direction-immediate-ceasefire-still-urgent http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/reaction-paris-pledging-conference-sudan-and-its-neighbors http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/entire-generation-children-sudan-faces-catastrophe-war-enters-its-second-year http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/conflict-and-hunger-sudan-ngo-call-action http://www.rescue.org/press-release/its-too-late-humanitarian-organisations-urge-participants-paris-conference-sudan-and http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/international-red-cross-and-red-crescent-movement-urges-support-conflict-victims-we   http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/april/a-catastrophic-year-for-sudan/ http://www.msf.org/sudan-needs-are-growing-day-response-deeply-inadequate http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/sudan-witnessing-life-and-death-emergency-massive-scale http://www.savethechildren.net/news/sudans-year-war-one-two-children-line-fire http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/sudan-conflict-24-million-children-exposed-year-brutality-and-rights http://www.care-international.org/resources/because-they-are-women-how-sudan-conflict-has-created-war-women-and-girls http://www.solidarites.org/en/live-from-the-field/sudan-definition-of-an-impending-famine/ http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-update-25-march-2024-enar http://response.reliefweb.int/sudan   * UN Security Council session: Protection of civilians in armed conflict - Sudan Food Security Crisis (20/3/24): http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17g7e6gqe http://www.wfp.org/news/remarks-delivered-carl-skau-wfp-deputy-executive-director-and-chief-operating-officer-security http://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/sudan-fao-issues-stark-warning-over-deeply-concerning-scale-of-hunger/en http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-warns-security-council-sudan-will-soon-be-worlds-worst-hunger-crisis http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/march/nrc-statement-following-un-security-council-session-on-conflict-induced-hunger-in-sudan/   19 Feb. 2024   In the deafening silence of global indifference, the war in Sudan recently entered its 10-month mark. (Humanitarian NGOs)   Since April 2023, close to 8 million people have fled their homes, of whom more than 1.6 million have sought refuge in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic – countries already grappling with immense difficulties.   Close to 25 million people need humanitarian assistance, including around 5 million people on the brink of famine and nearly 7 million children who are severely undernourished. Mass graves conceal evidence of widespread, systematic, and targeted mass atrocities that could be repeated at any moment as the conflict further expands.   Yet despite all of this, Sudan remains seemingly invisible to the global community.   The UN Security Council, other key multilateral institutions like the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and states with influence over the warring parties have failed to stop the violence.   And while the UN Security Council does little beyond condemn attacks on civilians and call for access to humanitarian assistance, regional efforts to resolve the crisis have been grindingly slow and too tepid.   As a result, commitments from the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance remain unfulfilled. Those with influence over the warring parties have echoed hollow calls for ceasefires and looked away as cumbersome bureaucratic requirements hinder our aid efforts.   Their lives turned upside down, Sudanese civilians have shown extraordinary strength. They have forged local mutual aid networks, channelling tireless efforts into collecting food, cash, and medicine to aid those in dire need. They have demonstrated that assisting Sudan's most impacted regions is difficult but far from impossible. Yet despite these efforts, the humanitarian situation is still worsening.   Sudan now has the grim honour of being the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with more than 3 million children – from a population of about 23 million children – displaced by violence since mid-April last year.   Today, fighting has engulfed more than half of the country. The capital Khartoum is now a ghost city, haunted by the smell of decaying bodies left in the streets. The normally quiet neighbourhoods have become battlefields, where homes, hospitals, schools, and markets have been bombed, looted, and occupied. In southern Sudan, the towns of Kordofan are strangled as fighting has cut supply lines and roads.   In December, Al-Jazirah state, once the country’s breadbasket, witnessed intense fighting leading to a new wave of displacement, as more than half of a million people fled their homes in search of safety. The state had recently become a hub for humanitarian operations, including our own, and fighting has forced us to relocate our staff and pause our operations in the state.   Further west, in Darfur, ethnicity has determined life or death. The generation born during the 2003-2005 genocide has followed their parents' desperate exodus. More than 600,000 people have now fled into neighbouring Chad; thousands never made it, having been executed in their homes or on the way.   At the end of February, the UN Security Council will close its political mission to Sudan, at a time when its responsibility to the country’s population is greater than ever.   To allow humanitarian organisations to reach the Sudanese people, we need the UN Security Council to demand unfettered humanitarian access across Sudan. The Council should act to pass a Resolution calling for all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, including the duty to protect civilians and the critical infrastructure they rely upon. This includes taking all feasible precautions to prevent grave violations against children and any forms of sexual and gender-based violence. The UN Security Council cannot continue to ignore its responsibility to protect civilians.   To those who have been left wounded, homeless, starving, bereft and robbed of their future, the UN Security Council, the African Union, IGAD, and regional partners must stand together and show that they will no longer stand idly by while rampant and egregious violations of international law are committed. It is time for disparate and at times competing diplomatic initiatives to become more coordinated and coherent.   Parties to the conflict must be held accountable for their commitments, and all actors must call out any continued targeting of civilians and arbitrary denials of humanitarian access. Perpetrators of all violations cannot be allowed to operate with impunity. The people of Sudan have been left to suffer in silence. More than 10 months on, it is past time that the bravery of the Sudanese people is matched by the concrete actions of the international community.   * David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee; Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International; Jan Egeland, Secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council; Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council; Michelle Nunn, President and CEO – CARE USA; Stephen Omollo, CEO of Plan International   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/sudan-nearly-230000-children-and-new-mothers-likely-die-hunger-without-critical-action-save http://www.wfp.org/news/sudans-war-risks-creating-worlds-largest-hunger-crisis-warns-wfp-chief http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/2024/02/19/sudan-collapse-international-community-we-are-failing-it http://www.care-international.org/news/ten-months-turmoil-sudan-children-battling-malnutrition-conflict-rages http://www.wfp.org/stories/sudans-war-rages-fallout-spreads-nearby-countries http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/03/high-commissioner-outlines-insidious-disregard-human-life-sudan   http://www.wfp.org/news/sudan-crisis-sends-shockwaves-around-region-displacement-hunger-and-malnutrition-soar http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-safe-access-feed-millions-sudan-fighting-rages-across-country http://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/numbers-children-seek-life-saving-care-sudan-war-drives-worlds-worst-displacement-crisis http://www.emro.who.int/sdn/sudan-news/urgent-action-needed-to-reach-the-most-vulnerable-in-sudan-with-life-saving-health-services.html http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/sudan-25-million-people-dire-humanitarian-need-say-un-experts   Dec. 2023 (UNICEF)   Across Sudan, over 14 million children are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support, the highest number ever recorded in the country. The war in Sudan has resulted in the largest child displacement crisis in the World. Close to 3.5 million children have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the fighting.   The impact of escalating violence - more than half of states in Sudan, 10 out of 18, are now experiencing active conflict - continues to threaten the lives and futures of families and children, leaving basic health and nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection services cut off with frontline workers going without pay and many facilities closed, damaged, or destroyed.   UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire across Sudan, and reiterates its call for all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian and human rights law – including ensuring that children are protected – and that rapid, safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to children and families in affected areas is facilitated. Without such access, critical lifesaving humanitarian support will be out of reach for millions of vulnerable children.   http://reliefweb.int/country/sdn http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2024/01/89755/sudan-war-living-nightmare-children-unicef-representative http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-warns-hunger-catastrophe-looms-conflict-hit-sudan-without-urgent-food-assistance http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-92/en/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-5-million-children-brink-darfur-unchecked-conflict-worsens http://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/over-200-days-war-leaves-generation-children-sudan-brink http://www.savethechildren.net/news/sudan-about-7600-children-fleeing-homes-daily-world-s-largest-child-displacement-crisis   http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unimaginable-humanitarian-crisis-unfolding-sudan http://www.iom.int/news/iom-chief-international-community-must-not-turn-its-back-worlds-largest-displacement-sudan http://www.msf.org/sudan-urgent-response-needed-amid-high-death-rates-and-malnutrition-crisis-north-darfur http://www.msf.org/conflict-sudan http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/sudan-breadbasket-to-battlefield http://www.humanitarianoutcomes.org/publications/score-report-sudan-2023 http://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/ Visit the related web page
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