UN food agency chief calls for end to Sudan war as famine crisis deepens

The new executive director of the United Nations' World Food Programme is calling for an end to the fighting in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing famine.

During a visit to the Goz Al-Salam Camp for Internally Displaced Persons, Luke J. Lindberg urged an end to the war and called for increased financial support for the WFP so it could expand its humanitarian aid.

A WFP statement said the organization was providing food to 4 million people in Sudan in August.

However, funding constraints forced it to cut assistance, leaving 900,000 people without help.

The organization is seeking $520 million in donations to feed 5.4 million people through April 2027.

Sudan’s war began in April 2023, when tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the country.

The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with about 34 million people, almost two out of every three Sudanese, needing assistance, according to the U.N.

Deadly drone attacks across Sudan have been carried out by the two rival forces.

The U.N. has expressed concern over the use of drones across Sudan, saying the attacks have killed civilians, including children, and are disrupting essential services.