UN relief head in war-torn Sudan warns ‘we’re in a race against time’ as famine looms

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Growing hunger in war-torn Sudan and limited tools to address the world’s largest displacement crisis are urgent concerns as famine looms, the head of the UN emergency relief agency (OCHA) in the beleaguered Africa nation told UN News on Tuesday.

Justin Brady spoke with UN News’s Khaled Mohamed from Port Sudan, where he outlined the current situation on the ground, warning that “we’re in a race against time, but the time is running out.”

The interview was edited for clarity and length.

UN News: What are the main concerns in Sudan right now?

Justin Brady: We struggle with three main issues – access, resources and attention –to respond to the biggest problems, including the largest displacement problem in the world.

We have a warning of famine. We’re waiting for the latest food security results, but the year started with 4.9 million people in category four of the [Integrated Food Security Phase Classification] IPC, which means they have exhausted all coping mechanisms. We’re likely to see a large percentage of them to be in IPC phase five, which includes famine.

This war has been brutal in terms of human rights abuses, gender and sexual based violence, and there’s really no place for the people to go. We have the full gambit of concerns, and the tools we have to deal with it are quite limited amid the ongoing conflict.

‘Reminiscent of the worst of any famine we have seen elsewhere’

UN News: What are you hearing from the parts of the country you cannot access?

Justin Brady: In the absence of new data we rely on anecdotal evidence. We have received news of people eating leaves from trees; one mother cooked up dirt just to put something in her children’s stomach. The images from some areas are reminiscent of the worst of any famine we have seen elsewhere. There is evidence of increased mortality and graves in various places. Right here in Port Sudan, where we have access, we see children who are malnourished.

I have been involved in two famine prevention operations in Somalia, and it’s something you can’t do on the cheap. We have been waiting on pledges from the Paris conference that took place on 15 April, one-year after the conflict began, and of the $2.2 billion pledged, we should be over 30 per cent funded, but the question is, how long does it take for that money to come into the system, for it to be transferred and to translate into actual operations? Because there’s always a lag time.

Children walking to their shelter at an IDP camp near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan (file).

UN News: How far is the situation deteriorating in Darfur and El Fasher?

Justin Brady: There have been efforts to negotiate a local ceasefire, but with no results, and the situation is getting worse. The Southern Hospital, the main health facility in El Fasher was attacked and is now essentially unusable.

There are hotspots across the country. The situation in northern Khartoum, in Omduran remains contested. There is an ongoing offensive by the SAF to retake Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazira state, which was lost in December. We have fighting around Al Obeid, in North Kordofan, a key transit centre for supplies to reach across line into Darfur.

UN News: How are humanitarian workers able to reach those areas right now?

Justin Brady: They cannot access many areas. The national staff of some of the international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have remained. When it’s not possible to operate, it’s best to take our staff out of harm’s way so that they can return when its safe.

We are looking at staging supplies around El Fasher, however the oncoming seasonal rains will make movements in many parts of the country difficult, if not impossible.

We’re in a race against time, but the time is running out to preposition stocks.

Unfortunately, with conflict, it isn’t possible to foresee how that is going to play out.

Children shelter in the shade in Tambasi centre in El Fasher, North Darfur. (file)

UN News: How does the UN Security Council resolution which demands that parties to the conflict ensure civilian protection and allow aid to reach those in need, affect the situation on the ground?

Justin Brady: The pressure from the international community is welcome as we have struggled to get attention from international policymakers and the media, who have had difficulty entering the country.

We have seen a 180-degree shift by the government in facilitating the free movement of supplies, and we’re very happy to see that and allowing us to get there again in the short time we have before the rains. On the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers and supplies, the RSF has consistently said the right things, but on the ground that has not translated to action.

Ultimately, we need more than just a resolution. We need diplomatic pressure on the parties and those supporting them in order to bring this mindless war to an end.

UN News: What support are you providing to women and girls who have reportedly suffered sexual violence?

Justin Brady: Sexual violence, not unlike in other countries, has a huge stigma in Sudan, and there are reports from the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) of survivors committing suicide because of the very heavy burden to bear within Sudanese society. We will continue to try and provide services to survivors.

Funding is geared towards four main areas: food, health, water sanitation and hygiene. There is a much lower level of funding for survivors, assistance, shelter, protection or mine action.