CAIRO (AP) — Human rights experts working for the United Nations accused Sudan’s warring parties on Wednesday of using hunger as a weapon of war, amid growing warnings of imminent famine in the African nation.
Sudan descended into chaos in April last year when rising tensions between the country’s military and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country. .
Fourteen months of fighting have killed more than 14,000 people and injured 33,000 more, according to the UN, but human rights activists say the toll could be much higher.
There have been widespread reports of rampant sexual violence and other atrocities that the groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The conflict generated the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 11 million people forced to flee their homes.
“The SAF and FAR use food as a weapon and make civilians starve,” the experts said, using the initials of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. “The magnitude of hunger and displacement seen today in Sudan is unprecedented and has never been seen before,” they said.
Neither the army nor the FAR returned phone calls seeking comment.
Experts have warned that famine has become imminent in the country as humanitarian aid has been blocked and the war disrupted the harvest season. They added that more than 25 million civilians in Sudan, and those who have fled the country, are hungry and in need of urgent humanitarian aid.
A report by the Clingendael Institute, published last month, indicates that nearly 2.5 million people in Sudan could die of hunger by the end of September, with around 15% of the population in the Darfur regions being most affected. and Kordofan.
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