After one year of conflict in Sudan, a new report released by IRC highlights the faces of the world’s worst displacement crisis
The IRCApr 12
Report: Large Parts of Sudan at Risk of 'Imminent' Famine
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The Facts
According to the heads of 19 global humanitarian groups, obstacles to providing aid to the Sudanese people will grow "rapidly and at scale." In a joint statement, United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations have warned that "imminent" famine could ravage large parts of the nation.
As the war between Sudan's army and the opposing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued for more than a year, a joint statement noted that 18M people are already acutely hungry, including 3.6M children who are acutely malnourished.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Sudan has been on a path toward famine since earlier this year, with over 8M people displaced and 18M going hungry. While neighboring countries have heroically opened their borders to refugees, and the EU gave Egypt $9B for expected arrivals, the world's more wealthy countries must take a stronger stance before Sudan collapses entirely. If this conflict, coupled with what's going on in Gaza, isn't fixed now, countries in the Middle East and Europe will face overwhelming migration.
Establishment-critical narrative
As one of the most agriculturally fertile places in Africa, Sudan should not be facing famine. However, thanks to Western intervention, such as the US-backed secession of what's now called South Sudan to gain control of its oil, Sudan has been turned upside down, with warring factions filling the political vacuum. While the UN repeatedly warns of famine, the Western elites who fund bad-faith operations appear to have no desire to fix the mess they've created.