idlenftgames|Sudanese gov't denies imminent famine in country
KHARTOUMidlenftgames, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government on Friday excluded the possibility of an imminent famine in the country.
"The Government of Sudan stresses that there is no imminent famine in Sudanidlenftgames," Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement, alleging that reports by the country's agricultural ministry and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) could support such a forecast.
The statement added that the United Nations can purchase food materials from the local market and production areas in the country.
It said the government was determined to continue working with the international community to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need, in accordance with national directives and UN principles.
The latest escalation of violence around El Fasher has halted aid convoys coming from Chad's Tine border crossing, which crippled efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to thousands in need.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said on Monday in an address to the agency's meeting that "the risk of famine is real in Sudan," where half the population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
He insisted "we have a small window of opportunity to prevent it now," according to an FAO statement.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has previously warned that the ongoing war in Sudan "risks triggering the world's largest hunger crisis" in Sudan, whose citizens are already suffering from massive displacement by war.
According to the UN, half of Sudan's population -- some 25 million people -- need humanitarian assistance and protection, with nearly 18 million people facing acute food insecurity.
The clashes in El Fasher are the latest escalation of the larger conflict between the SAF and the RSF across the country since April 15, 2023.
The deadly clashes have so far claimed 15,550 lives and displaced over 8.8 million people nationwide, according to recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.■