GENEVA, April 25 (KUNA) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday of the deteriorating situation in Sudan, confirming that it is currently the only country in the world where famine has been officially declared.
"Nearly 25 million people (half of Sudan's population) are suffering from acute hunger while around 5 million children and breastfeeding mothers are acutely malnourished," Said WFP Emergency Coordinator for Sudan Samatha Chattaraj speaking from (Port Sudan) during a press briefing in Geneva.
Chattaraj described the humanitarian situation in Sudan as "one of the most complex and dangerous in the world." She explained that the WFP is working to deliver aid to seven million people across 27 areas affected by severe malnutrition or at risk of famine by mid-year.
Chattaraj also warned about the "extremely dire" situation in Khartoum, stating that entire neighborhoods are devastated, suffering from hunger and despair.
She noted that food distributions have begun for around 100,000 people in the (Jabal Awlia area) the first delivery of aid there since December.
She also warned that the situation in Darfur is equally alarming especially in (Tawila) in (North Darfur) where more than 180,000 people have fled from (Al-Fasher) and (Zamzam camp) in just one week.
In total more than 450,000 people in the region are suffering from both violence and famine, she said, reporting that WFP is now setting up mobile warehouses in (Tawila) to increase food storage capacity a vital move before the rainy season begins in June which could render many roads in Darfur impassable and further hinder the movement of food aid trucks.
Chattaraj emphasized the need to scale up response to what she described as "the world's largest humanitarian crisis", calling for a sustained humanitarian access to ensure a steady flow of aid and increased funding to meet the immense needs of the Sudanese people. (end) imk.mt