WFP warns assault on Sudan's El Obeid area threatens to deepen the country's hunger crisis

The warning comes amid escalations in fighting across the state, with increased drone attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and reports of substantial military activity around El Obeid. The threat of an imminent offensive on the city would force hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee in search of food and safety.

WFP continues to provide vital food and cash assistance to over 100,000 of the most vulnerable in El Obeid. The agency is now moving quickly to position more life-saving food assistance in the area. The goal is to be ready to support more than 250,000 people who may be forced to escape the city if the situation deteriorates further.

“We must act swiftly to save lives as per our humanitarian mandate,” said Abdallah Alwardat, WFP’s Country Director for Sudan, when speaking to WFP’s Executive Board in Rome yesterday about what’s at stake in El Obeid. “This action, however, comes at a cost. The food stocks we are forced to reallocate towards El Obeid were intended for prepositioning ahead of the imminent rainy season. Already, our food pipeline in Sudan is under tremendous strain. In September, we will run out of food for our emergency operations across the country, which today reaches just one in five people in need of food assistance for survival.”

El Obeid is a critical humanitarian hub for the wider Kordofan region and a lifeline for civilians already enduring siege-like conditions and shrinking access to basic services.

WFP urgently requires USD 646 million to maintain life-saving food assistance operations in Sudan for the next six months.

WFP joins the United Nations Secretary General in calling on all parties to protect civilians and humanitarian operations, allow safe passage for people seeking safety, and guarantee rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to El Obeid and across Sudan.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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