Sudanese warring parties using starvation as weapon, UN experts say

Experts say more than 25 million civilians in Sudan are being starved and require urgent humanitarian assistance

People queue o register for food aid at a camp for the internally displaced in Agari, North Kordofan, Sudan. AFP

Both factions in Sudan's conflict are using starvation as a weapon of war and widespread famine is imminent, UN experts warned on Wednesday.

The four experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said more than 25 million civilians in Sudan require urgent humanitarian assistance.

“Humanitarian aid is being blocked and the harvest season has been disrupted due to the armed conflict, making widespread famine imminent in the coming months,” the experts said.

The Sudanese army as well as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are using food as a weapon, the experts said, adding that foreign powers providing military support to either side are “complicit” in starvation crimes, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

While they refrained from specifying the countries involved, they urged the warring parties to immediately agree to a ceasefire and start inclusive political negotiations.

They called on the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF to stop blocking, looting and exploiting humanitarian assistance.

“The extent of hunger and displacement we see in Sudan today is unprecedented and never witnessed before,” the experts said, in a statement.

The UN says about 10 million people have fled their homes across Sudan since the army and RSF fell out over a planned integration of their forces and started fighting in the capital Khartoum in April last year.

Local efforts to address hunger are being hampered by unprecedented violence and targeted attacks on civil society and local responders, with dozens of activists and local volunteers arrested, threatened and prosecuted in recent weeks, the experts said.

They emphasised that in 2019, Sudanese citizens pursued a civilian government and the recognition of their human rights through a peaceful revolution.

However, their aspirations were dashed by a coup, leading to the continuing conflict that is exacerbated by external influences.