The hunger crisis has led to accusations amongst Sudan’s warring sides

The two opposing factions in Sudan have been accusing each other of being responsible for the famine that was just confirmed in one of the biggest camps for the internally displaced in Darfur, despite mounting warnings that Sudan would experience the worst food crisis in history.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry, under the command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), claimed in a statement late on Friday that the hunger that afflicted the Zamzam camp near El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur State, was brought on by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“The militia is continuing its siege of El Fasher as part of the starvation strategy it is carrying out,” claimed the statement. The statement went on to say that it is “unfounded” to link food shortages to not using a specific border crossing.

Given the challenges of getting through the Al-Tina crossing in North Darfur due to severe rains, UN agencies are urging the Sudanese authorities to open the Adre crossing on the border with Chad so that assistance vehicles can reach Darfur.

Khartoum, however, denied the request, claiming that it could be possible to use the Chadian border to bring in military assistance for the RSF.

Meanwhile, by impeding or stopping the supply of humanitarian aid to the people of Darfur and other parts of the country, the RSF charged that the SAF was “using starvation as a weapon” against them.

The RSF called on the world community to step in and help millions of people who are in danger of starving in a statement that was shared on the social networking site X.

The UN announced on Thursday that there was famine in some parts of the war-torn Sudan and that it would last for the next two months.

The United Nations stated on its website that the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s most recent report had revealed that the 15-month-long, rapidly intensifying conflict had significantly hindered humanitarian access and driven some areas of North Darfur into famine, most notably the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people.

“The scale of devastation brought by the escalating violence in El Fasher town is profound and harrowing,” the report stated.

“The main drivers of famine in Zamzam camp are conflict and lack of humanitarian access, both of which can immediately be rectified with the necessary political will,” the report states.

Among other things, the report suggested that warring sides immediately cease attacking hospitals, humanitarian organizations, and civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a statement from Adam Rijal, the voluntary organization’s spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, claimed that the circumstances at the Zamzam camp were comparable to those in more than 171 other camps around the Darfur region.

He claimed that starvation, a lack of food, and a paucity of life-saving medications cause 20 to 25 people to pass away every day in the camps in Darfur. The number of deaths occurring each day in the camps, however, could not be verified by official sources.

Severe fighting has been going on in El Fasher, North Darfur State’s capital, since May 10.

The continuous conflict between the SAF and the RSF in Sudan, according to the World Food Program, “risks triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis.”

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been experiencing a devastating struggle between the SAF and the RSF, which has claimed at least 16,650 lives.

According to UN estimates released on Monday, there are currently 10.7 million internally displaced persons in Sudan, and an additional 2.2 million are thought to be seeking asylum in neighboring countries.