Local security conflict

Sudan’s already dire humanitarian situation is worsening as a dispute between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) disrupts the delivery of vital aid.

The two sides are exchanging accusations of obstructing humanitarian efforts. Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said the RSF blocked trucks carrying UNICEF supplies on their way to El Fasher, North Darfur, on Friday. These supplies were intended to address malnutrition among children in displacement camps.

The ministry further alleges the RSF deployed forces near Mellit to seize humanitarian convoys along the Al-Dabba-Mellit-El Fasher route. The RSF counters that the SAF and allied forces are attempting to use aid deliveries to smuggle weapons.

“We have reservations about bringing aid into Darfur through Al-Dabba,” said Imran Abdullah, a member of the RSF commander’s advisory office. “The SAF and the Sudan Liberation Movement…sought to smuggle weapons through this route,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Darfur deepens. Displaced persons in camps face the threat of famine due to the halt of food rations from international organizations.

“Malnutrition rates are soaring, endangering hundreds of thousands,” said Adam Rijal, spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur. “WFP food rations have stopped,” he added in a Friday statement.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the ongoing conflict has pushed a large portion of the Sudanese population towards severe hunger. A recent WFP report states that “less than five percent of Sudanese can afford a square meal a day.”

The situation is particularly concerning as the United Nations estimates that half of Sudan’s population, roughly 25 million people, require humanitarian aid and protection. Nearly 18 million are at risk of severe food scarcity.

The clashes, which began in April 2023, have also displaced a staggering 8.1 million people, with 6.3 million internally displaced, according to a UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report from last month. The report also cites data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, indicating that approximately 13,900 people have been killed in the violence.