‘We need the world to wake up’: Sudan facing world’s deadliest famine in 40 years
GuardianJun 12
Sudan: Global Food Monitor Declares Famine in Darfur
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Above: Newly arrived refugees from Darfur in Sudan, gather at a relocation camp near the border on April 19, 2024 in Adre, Chad. Image copyright: Dan Kitwood/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to a report published by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification on Thursday, the 15-month-long war in Sudan has caused famine in parts of Sudan’s North Darfur region — especially the Zamzam camp for displaced people.
The report posits that North Darfur is experiencing the fifth phase of food insecurity or “the worst form of hunger,” indicating famine, in which at least one in five people or households have an extreme lack of food and face starvation.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
It's more important than ever to protect Sudan from collapsing entirely. With millions who fled horrific violence going hungry for months, a repeat genocide is underway in the war-torn country. This is a people-made crisis, and it can be resolved if the guns are silenced and agencies are empowered to deliver relief to people forced to leave their homes. The country not only needs urgent funding, but the gravity of the situation on the ground demands safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sudan's Darfur region was once dubbed the nation's breadbasket as it contributed over half of the country's total cereal production. Despite conflict, displacement, and humanitarian access constraints, it shouldn't be facing famine. The US-backed secession of what's now called South Sudan — to gain control of its oil — has turned Sudan upside down, causing the harrowing conditions in Darfur. The UN's warning will be brushed aside as the Western elites have no desire to fix the mess they've created.
