Norway’s Minister of International Development, Åsmund Aukrust, has expressed deep shock at the widening famine in Sudan, particularly in the war-torn Darfur region, and urged immediate, unfettered humanitarian access to reach millions of civilians in desperate need of aid.
“It is shocking that famine is spreading to new areas in Darfur, affecting children and their families,” Aukrust said in a statement highlighting the plight of people who have been repeatedly displaced by years of conflict and violence. Many of those affected are internally displaced persons who have fled multiple waves of fighting and massacres and now face exhaustion, severe malnutrition and urgent needs for food, health care and other life-saving assistance.
Sudan is facing one of the world’s largest humanitarian disasters, with famine conditions confirmed in several areas amid continuing fighting between rival forces that has disrupted supply routes, hindered aid deliveries and forced millions from their homes.
Aukrust described the famine as “man-made,” triggered by a combination of war and restricted humanitarian access, with some of the hardest-hit cities under siege and aid workers prevented from reaching starving civilians. He condemned the use of starvation as a method of warfare, calling it “completely unacceptable” and a violation of international humanitarian law.
Norway is demanding unfettered and safe access for all humanitarian organisations and freedom of movement for civilians, stressing that parties to the conflict are obligated to protect non-combatants and facilitate the delivery of life-saving aid. The minister also called on the international community to press all sides to ensure relief reaches those in need and that people wishing to leave famine-affected areas are allowed to do so.
“The civilian population in Sudan deserves peace and security,” the statement said, as Oslo urges greater global action to stem the tide of hunger and protect vulnerable populations.
