WHO Declares Famine in El Fasher, Warns of Its Spread to South Sudan
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced Wednesday that a famine is occurring in the Sudanese city of El Fasher, warning of the risk of it spreading to other regions of the country and neighboring South Sudan.
This information was shared by Ghebreyesus on social media, based on the latest reports from the United Nations’ Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
According to the reports, around 50 million people in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are threatened by famine and are struggling to find ways to feed their families, he noted.
He added that “famine has been confirmed in some regions of Sudan (El Fasher and Kadugli), and there is a risk that famine will affect other parts of the country and South Sudan.”
He called for a significant increase in food aid to Sudan, noting that the Organization, with the support of its partners, is working to reach all people who need medical care.
At the end of October, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State (west), and committed massacres against civilians, according to local and international organizations.
The RSF currently controls the five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for certain parts of northern North Darfur State, which remain under army control, including the provinces of Karnoi, Ambro and Al-Tina.
