New York, Jan. 6 (Petra) – The UN Security Council held a session on food security and famine in Sudan on Monday with representatives from several member states attending.

The Council listened to two briefings: the first from Edem Wosornu, Director of Advocacy and Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the second from Beth Bechdolt, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Wosornu stated that the crisis in Sudan is the result of human decisions, explaining that “severe hunger poses disproportionate risks to women, girls, children, and the elderly.” She added, “Sudan is the only place in the world where famine is currently confirmed, and hunger and famine are spreading due to decisions made every day to continue this war, regardless of the cost to civilians.”

She called on the Security Council to exert pressure on the warring parties to respect international humanitarian law and fulfill their obligations to meet the needs of civilians and protect vital infrastructure and services.

Bechdolt pointed out that conflict and forced displacement are key drivers of the crisis, which has worsened due to restricted humanitarian access as well as economic disruptions and environmental factors. She noted that over the past 15 years, four famines have been confirmed: Somalia in 2011; South Sudan in 2017 and 2020; and now Sudan in 2024.

She also highlighted that about two-thirds of Sudan’s population depends on agriculture, and losses in key crops such as sorghum, millet, and wheat in the first year of conflict “would have fed around 18 million people for a year, representing an economic loss ranging from $1.3 to $1.7 billion.”

The session was attended by members of the Security Council, as well as the ambassadors of Egypt and Sudan.

//Petra// AF
06/01/2025 23:47:32