Famine Hits Sudan as Peace Talks Fail Again

Famine continues to devastate Sudan as peace talks between warring factions stall, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. Despite a small concession by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to allow 15 UN aid trucks to cross from Chad into famine-hit areas, aid agencies warn that this gesture is insufficient to address the needs of millions at risk of starvation. Sudan's food crisis, driven by decades of economic mismanagement, war, and climate change, now threatens the lives of 2.5 million people by the year's end.

The ongoing conflict between SAF, led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo (Hemedti), has destroyed key agricultural regions, including Gezira and Sennar, further deepening the famine. In Darfur, particularly in el-Fasher, famine conditions have reached catastrophic levels, with Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) reporting extreme malnutrition in camps for displaced people. The SAF's blockade strategy mirrors tactics used during previous conflicts, cutting off essential supplies to rebel-held areas.

Efforts to deliver aid are hampered by logistical challenges and political obstruction. While the SAF controls Port Sudan, and the UN recognizes them as the legitimate government, the slow trickle of aid into famine-stricken regions remains far from what is needed. Relief efforts are further delayed by bureaucratic hurdles, with aid agencies struggling to navigate the SAF's demands for inspections and permissions.

International peace talks, mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia in Geneva, ended without progress as regional power struggles between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt continue to complicate negotiations. As the conflict drags on, hopes for a quick resolution diminish, leaving millions of Sudanese people facing an increasingly desperate future.