As the violence in Sudan goes on, some are fleeing and those who have chosen to stay are approaching a state of starvation.
According to CNN, people have been forced to eat “grass and peanut shells.”
The World Food Programme’s regional director for Eastern Africa, Michael Dunford said, “If assistance doesn’t reach them soon, we risk witnessing widespread starvation and death in Darfur and across other conflict-affected areas in Sudan.”
The civil war has been going on since April 2023. The Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Support Forces are the combatants. However, it soon degenerated to a brutal conflict where there are reports of sexual and genocidal violence and civilian casualties causing an exodus of refugees.
On Thursday, two International Committee of the Red Cross drivers were killed by gunmen in South Darfur. Three other staff members were injured in the attack, according to the humanitarian organization.
There have been killings and sacking of towns. The UN deputy coordinator for Sudan, Toby Hayward said El Fisher is the only city in Darfur that has not been captured by the RSF. Not unexpectedly, the city is host to people who have been displaced by the war. Not less than 500,000 of those sheltering in the city were displaced from elsewhere in Sudan.
More than 8.7 million people, including 4.6 million need assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs.
