Hello Deep Dives platform! It's a beautiful day to share with you happenings around Sudan and the state of violence and humanitarian efforts to reduce the weight of the crisis on the ordinary people. Good evening!
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) have reported about the looting of food stuffs that was stored to carter for the rising refugees in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict in the country.
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the looting of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) main offices in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, over the weekend, describing it as “violation” of humanitarian facilities.
He reminded that overall, some 17,000 metric tonnes of food had been taken, mostly in the first few days of the fighting, worth at least $13 million – but probably a good deal more than that, once a full inventory can be taken.
Mr. Haq said that WFP had pre-positioned around 80,000 tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs before the violence began on 15 April, emphasizing that the looting was depriving civilians of potentially life-saving aid.
This weekend looting according to Haq, was basically computer and other equipments that were stolen by the hoodlums.
The conflict in Sudan has forced about 100,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries, according to the UN, and has obstructed aid deliveries in a country where about one-third of people already relied on humanitarian assistance.
Rowe said that the WFP needed to purchase more supplies urgently for Sudan.
“We know that if we do not procure commodities now, we are going to run out of stock in the next two to three months,” he said.
We've already started our engagement with our donors to see how quickly we can procure and also deliver in these locations where we do have windows of opportunity and where it’s considered relatively safe for us to provide assistance,” he said
There's an increasing rate of malnutrition in North Darfur region and with people not able to get adequate and balanced food to eat, they're likely to suffer from malnutrition related cases.
The UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies have been helping with water and other foods to help the people.
The implication of these series of looting in the World Food Programme will case severe hunger and death of people most especially the vulnerable in the society (women, children and the elderly).
References:-
- https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136447
- https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/05/un-says-food-worth-14m-looted-in-sudan/amp/
- https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/rest-of-africa/wfp-says-about-14m-worth-of-food-looted-in-sudan-4223856
- https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/wfp-says-13-mln-14-mln-worth-food-looted-sudan-2023-05-04/