Sudan faces imminent famine as war rages

Nearly 750,000 people are on the brink of starvation in war-torn Sudan, where the conflict between rival army factions aggravates the humanitarian situation, the global authority on famine said.

The war left nearly half Sudan’s 48 million population suffering from hunger in areas including the capital Khartum, according to the latest figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a group of experts from U.N. bodies and major relief agencies that measures hunger and formally declares famine.

The unreliability of data due to the crumbling health system and the ongoing clashes prevent aid workers from reaching hard-hit areas. This makes estimates reflect the tip of the iceberg of a deteriorating situation in Sudan.

UN and international NGOs have previously urged action to prevent famine in Sudan since December.

In Darfur in particular, the risk of famine is imminent, where the siege of major towns triggered fears of a new genocide in the area.

This is the single largest humanitarian crisis on the planet,” Samantha Power, the head of USAID, told reporters on June 14.

Some 2 million people have crossed the border to flee the ongoing civil war between the paramilitary RSF and the army, UNHCR said.

The UN said it has received only 17% of the 2.7 billion dollars needed to address the humanitarian situation in the country.