As long as the violence continues and humanitarian access remains limited, the risk of famine in Sudan remains enormous. A new report by the international monitoring organization IPC shows that 755,000 people are at risk of dying from hunger. 8 million people are severely malnourished and over 25 million people face malnutrition. Organizations united via the Dutch Relief Alliance are extremely concerned about these dangerously alarming levels of hunger and are expanding their emergency relief efforts in the conflict-hit country.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pledged three million euros for additional emergency activities to support communities hit by the impending famine in Sudan. By collaboration via the Dutch Relief Alliance, the national and international NGOs will continue and expand their activities to reach Sudan’s most vulnerable communities via food security and livelihoods assistance, nutrition intervention, combined with multi-purpose cash support, and water, sanitation and hygiene.

Eiman Ibrahim, joint response coordinator at Plan International Sudan, welcomes additional support via the Dutch Relief Alliance: “It is critical that we can continue delivering humanitarian action. The international community cannot keep neglecting this catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Without an immediate and drastic upscale in humanitarian funding and access, more children face the unacceptable risk of death from extreme hunger. And with every delay in getting food and other life-saving humanitarian aid to the communities, the number of girls and women at risk of gender-based violence will continue to increase. We must keep our eyes, hearts, and action on Sudan.”

Calls for unhindered access
Humanitarian activities have been severely constrained not only by hostilities but also by several other factors, including attacks on humanitarian workers, limited commitment by the warring parties to facilitate access, lootings, a collapse of civil order and law enforcement structures. The organizations united via the Dutch Relief Alliance call for renewed efforts towards negotiating safe and unhindered access as obligated under international humanitarian law.