WFP says 'safety of our staff and partners needs to be guaranteed'
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday announced that it has reluctantly suspended food assistance in various parts of Sudan's Gezira State as violence continues to escalate south and east of the capital Khartoum.
The suspension comes as a significant setback, WFP's regional office in Nairobi said, noting it regularly provided aid to more than 800,000 people, including those who sought refuge from the war-torn regions around Khartoum.
"We are committed to supporting the people of Sudan in their hour of greatest need, but the safety of our staff and partners needs to be guaranteed. Our teams are working around the clock to provide food aid in locations where it is still possible and resume planned assistance in other areas when it is safe to do so," said Eddie Rowe, WFP country director in Sudan.
Approximately 300,000 people have fled Gezira State in a matter of days since last Friday when clashes erupted, creating a dire humanitarian crisis.
The ongoing violence has created formidable challenges for humanitarian agencies attempting to safely deliver assistance, particularly with the increasing number of people on the move, desperately fleeing for their lives.
The conflict has exacerbated an already precarious food situation in Sudan, where nearly 18 million people are acutely food insecure during the ongoing harvest season, typically a period of increased food availability.
Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the country's ruling Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April.
Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators have failed to end the violence.
