The Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees called for not using food as a weapon of starvation against displaced people and citizens in the Darfur region and all parts of Sudan, warning that famine is killing Sudanese.
The spokesman for the Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees stressed the need to stop the aerial and artillery bombardment, calling on the Sudanese parties to stop hostilities and renounce hate speech, racism and regionalism in order to save the country.
He warned that the country was on the verge of sliding into the abyss, in light of what he saw as all-out war. “The situation in El Fasher reflects that slippage, reaching the point of a humanitarian catastrophe.” He pointed to the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis suffered by the Sudanese in displacement and refugee camps, warning of its exacerbation in light of the continued conflict, the imposed siege and the famine spread in all displacement camps in the Darfur region and the rest of Sudan.
He pointed to the daily suffering of the Sudanese and the horrific events they face, adding: “The victims tell painful stories of food shortages, where food is cut off in large numbers for days, even eating a meal every two to three days due to the extreme scarcity and high prices in the markets that have caused them to be unable to buy food.
He revealed that some of those stranded in the areas of military operations rely on grass and livestock feed as food in light of the acute shortage of food, pointing to the suffering of displaced people in displacement camps and host communities in Darfur and the rest of Sudan. He noted that it is exacerbated under increasing pressure from the parties to the conflict. Camps and cities are subjected to deliberate indiscriminate artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces, which resulted in large numbers of casualties and the destruction of camps without adhering to the most basic rules of engagement in accordance with international laws, he said, accusing the army of bombing geographical areas inhabited by civilians in camps, cities and villages in Darfur.
Areas controlled by the parties to the conflict were subjected to killings, particularly violence and frequent arbitrary arrests.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that its warehouses were subjected to theft and looting of relief items, as well as the misuse of the UNHCR mark on materials sold by commercial suppliers in the market.
UNHCR said it was following up on images circulating on various social media platforms showing the misuse of UNHCR-branded tarpaulins in Sudan by armed actors.
Social media users circulated pictures showing the RSF using fabrics marked with the UNHCR mark, while the Sudanese government denounced this and called on the UN to clarify.
UNHCR noted that it has not been able to verify this content, pointing to several cases of theft and looting of relief items in various locations in Sudan, as well as misuse of the UNHCR mark on materials sold by commercial suppliers.
She expressed grave concern about the theft, misdirection or lack of access to displaced Sudanese women, men and children and vulnerable refugees in Sudan who face ongoing violence, famine and extremely difficult living conditions.
The misuse of UNHCR-branded relief items by military actors creates negative perceptions about the neutrality of humanitarian aid and puts UNHCR and humanitarian personnel at risk.
She affirmed her commitment to do everything in her power to ensure that millions of Sudanese forced to flee their homes, in neighbouring countries and inside the country, as well as refugees, are able to receive urgent and life-saving assistance and protection, noting that incidents of abuse undermine their ability to do so.
She stressed that in the event of cases of aid diversion, extortion or theft in Sudan, UNHCR has measures and procedures in place to report and address these issues with the parties concerned, including within the UN common system.
It urged all parties to the conflict to respect humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law and to refrain from seizing, diverting, delaying or misusing humanitarian relief items.
At the same time, the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in addition to the European Union and the United Nations, announced the organization of a high-level ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, to support the humanitarian response in Sudan and the region.
The meeting is an opportunity to assess challenges and identify ways forward collectively for concerted global action to address the consequences of Sudan’s deepening humanitarian crisis and its impact on the region, and to increase support for ongoing response efforts.
Sudan is facing a humanitarian crisis of devastating proportions, as the unprecedented hunger crisis has worsened,
With some 26 million people suffering from severe food insecurity, humanitarian organizations are trying to scale up their life-saving activities in a particularly difficult working environment, with a wide range of barriers to access, including floods.
Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi
