Sudan Withdraws from Global Food Insecurity Assessment Amid Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis
On Monday, Sudan officially withdrew from the International Food Insecurity Classification program, known as IPC, which is utilized globally to evaluate the accessibility of adequate nutrition to populations. According to Reuters, this decision came ahead of the release of a significant new report that documents the extensive famine gripping the nation, which has been embroiled in conflict for over a year and a half. This war has led to over 60,000 deaths and displaced more than 11 million individuals.
The forthcoming report, set to be published on Tuesday, expands on the areas of Sudan where citizens are facing critical levels of food insecurity. The IPC scale ranges from 1 (minimal or no food insecurity) to 5 (catastrophe/famine). Category 5 indicates that at least 20 percent of an area's population lacks access to vital food supplies and is severely malnourished, facing imminent death due to starvation. As the situation deteriorates, the number of individuals falling into this alarming category can increase further.
The IPC classification is crafted through comprehensive field data collection, involving factors such as food availability, its cost, the effects of climate events or conflicts, malnutrition levels among the population, and mortality statistics. However, Sudan's Minister of Agriculture, Abubakr al Bushra, claimed the program's findings are unreliable, stating in his suspension letter that the IPC underestimates the agricultural sector’s outcomes from the summer months. He also questioned the validity of data collected in areas controlled by rival militia factions, labeled as adversaries of the government.
This is not the first instance in which the Sudanese government has challenged the severity of analyses from humanitarian organizations, often downplaying the crisis engulfing the nation. The IPC operates independently under the auspices of 19 international organizations, including the European Union and USAID, working collaboratively with local NGOs, UN agencies, and governments that are instrumental in distributing aid and enhancing living conditions long-term. Sudan's exit from the program could eliminate a critical resource necessary for gauging humanitarian conditions and formulating appropriate responses.
The complexity of Sudan's situation has been escalating since a military coup in 2021 that brought about a dictatorship led by a fragile coalition of two military generals: Abdel Fattah al Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group of a comparable size to the regular army. Following international pressure in December 2022, both generals attempted to resume a democratic transition process, but increasing tensions over power-sharing led to a violent outbreak in April 2023, culminating in a bloody civil war that persists today.
Despite the grievous humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the conflict has received minimal media spotlight. The United Nations has classified this as one of the most severe humanitarian disasters in recent memory. The fluidity of the conflict, characterized by no clear front lines, complicates the ability to ascertain its progression accurately. Most of the clashes have occurred around the capital Khartoum and in the Darfur region, particularly in areas controlled by the RSF. Recently, the regular army initiated a significant counteroffensive around the capital, reclaiming strategic positions.
The ongoing war has led to dire repercussions for civilians, involving looting, bombings, and grievous human rights violations, including ethnic killings and sexual violence against women and girls. Critical disruptions to electricity and communication networks complicate aid delivery, and the conflict has hindered food distribution, diminished production capacity, and spurred an alarming rise in food prices. The June IPC report indicated that around 755,000 people in Sudan reached level 5 of the IPC classification in a population of approximately 48 million – a dire statistic contributing to a global total of 19 million people in similar conditions.
The Zamzam displaced persons camp near al Fashir, North Darfur, exemplifies the acute crisis, having become a refuge for at least 500,000 individuals since the onset of hostilities; estimates suggest the number could be even higher. Living conditions in the camp remain harrowing, with a staggering 25 percent of children reported as severely malnourished, greatly exceeding the IPC threshold for phase 5. As the war continues and food production wanes further, humanitarian organizations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have provided alarming statistics regarding malnourished children in the camp.
For the first time, the camp has recently been subjected to military assaults, attributed to RSF militias. The RSF has accused the regular army of using civilians as human shields, further complicating an already grim humanitarian landscape. Accusations have been levied against both factions for systematically obstructing the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, exacerbating the ongoing famine and profound suffering among the Sudanese population.
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