Starvation is rampant across war-torn Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported in an interview with the BBC’s Today programme.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, described the situation in Sudan as “extremely dire,” highlighting the widespread famine and unprecedented levels of displacement.
Dr. Tedros revealed that the ongoing conflict has resulted in the largest displacement crisis globally, with 12 million people uprooted from their homes.
He expressed concern over the global community’s inadequate response to Sudan’s crisis, suggesting that racial factors may be influencing the lack of attention.
Since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), thousands of lives have been lost.
Dr. Tedros, who recently visited Sudan, recounted witnessing severe suffering, including children in a state of severe malnutrition.
He noted that nearly 25 million people about half of Sudan’s population are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
Dr. Tedros criticized the international community’s focus on crises, citing a disparity in attention between conflicts in Africa and those elsewhere.
He pointed out that the global response to crises in Sudan, Tigray, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Syria has been disproportionately less compared to the attention given to the Ukraine conflict following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
The WHO chief urged mainstream media to highlight Sudan’s plight more prominently, calling it a “tragedy” that demands greater coverage.
In August, a UN-backed expert committee declared a famine at a camp near el-Fasher in Darfur, where approximately 500,000 displaced individuals are suffering.
The conflict in Sudan began after a coup in 2021 by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which eventually descended into civil war.
Allegations have emerged that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has supported the RSF financially and militarily claims the UAE denies while Saudi Arabia is reported to maintain close relations with the Sudanese government.
Efforts to mediate the conflict, led by Saudi Arabia and the US, have yet to yield a resolution.
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