OCHA: 30 Million Sudanese in Urgent Need of Humanitarian Assistance

SadaNews - Edem Wosurno, the Director of Operations and Advocacy at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated that 30 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Wosurno said in a press statement, "Sudan represents the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, comprising 30 million people in need of aid, and what I saw in Khartoum was horrifying; it is a devastated city. Once vibrant, it has become a ghost town."

She added, "What we are asking for is 55 cents a day for every person in Sudan. That’s all. When we are allowed humanitarian access, when security and safety guarantees are in place, and when we have enough supplies and funding, we will be able to help."

The UN official spoke about the situation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur (West), stating that "the city has been besieged for a year, and the situation in the Zamzam camp for displaced persons is extremely difficult."

The camp is home to approximately 25,000 displaced individuals, according to the UN.

On August 3, 2024, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced the spread of famine in the Zamzam camp for displaced persons.

Since May 10, 2024, El Fasher has witnessed clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, despite international warnings about the repercussions of the battles in a city that serves as the humanitarian operations center for the five states of Darfur.

In recent days, the intensity of the fighting has increased, and the Sudanese army has managed to repel all repeated attacks by the Rapid Support Forces on El Fasher.

Wosurno noted the call from the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, for the implementation of a "humanitarian ceasefire" in El Fasher. The UN official also called for continued international attention to the situation in Sudan.

She emphasized the "need to allow unhindered humanitarian access to deliver aid to those in need."

Wosurno urged for continued funding of humanitarian efforts in Sudan and an end to the war.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a war that has resulted in over 20,000 deaths and the displacement and flight of about 15 million people, according to the UN and local authorities, while a study conducted by American universities estimated the death toll to be around 130,000.