UN official says Sudan paramilitary group is preventing life-saving aid from famine-hit Darfur
CAIRO (AP) — Paramilitary forces at war with the military in Sudan are preventing life-saving aid from reaching many people in the famine-hit Darfur region, the United Nations’ top humanitarian official in the country said Monday.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said in a statement that the Rapid Support Forces have imposed “obstruction, undue interference and operational restrictions” on aid supplies to areas under their control, especially in Darfur. The RSF and their allied militias control most of that western region.
“The persistent restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles …. are preventing life-saving assistance from reaching those in desperate need,” she said.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
The restrictions, implemented by the RSF’s affiliate Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations, include “demands for logistical support or mandatory engagement with selected vendors that risk corruption and aid diversion,” Nkweta-Salami said.
On Sunday evening, a performer at the Super Bowl halftime show in the U.S. unfurled a banner including the word “Sudan” in an apparent attempt to draw attention to the often-overlooked war from the event’s massive audience.
The conflict in Sudan started in April 2023 when tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities across the African country.
The conflict has killed more than 28,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes and left some families eating grass in an attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country. Aid groups say they struggle to reach the most vulnerable as warring parties limit access, especially in Darfur.
Famine has been detected in at least five areas, including three camps for displaced people in Darfur, according to the Integrated Food Security Classification. In its December report, the IPC warned that famine was spreading, and five other areas in Darfur have been projected to experience famine in coming months.
The war has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, driving over 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the U.N. Of them, an estimated 3.2 million have crossed into neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
The war has been marked by atrocities including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the U.N. and rights groups. The International Criminal Court has said it was investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Biden administration, before it left office last month, determined that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide. ICC prosecutor Karin Khan told the U.N. Security Council in January that there are “very clear echoes” in the current conflict of what happened 20 years ago.
Back then, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the Janjaweed Arab militias, against populations that identify as Central or East African. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes. The RSF grew out of the Janjaweed militias.