Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at OCHA, briefed journalists on her recent visit to Sudan and neighbouring Chad, highlighting the scale of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Chad serves as a critical entry point for aid and a refuge for approximately 850,000 people who have fled fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, with around 30 million people in need of assistance. Homes, hospitals, and schools have been destroyed, and basic services have largely ceased, leading to rising malnutrition and food insecurity.
Ms. Wosornu expressed grave concern over the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur, which has been under siege for 500 days amid ongoing shelling. The city is also grappling with a deadly cholera outbreak affecting both civilians and combatants. She noted that about 70 aid trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and WHO are waiting in Nyala, South Darfur, to deliver assistance. Other cities, including Kadugli in South Kordofan and El Obeid in North Kordofan, are also under siege, though recent UNICEF deliveries have reached hundreds of thousands of people in Kadugli.
Reflecting on Sudan’s broader context, Ms. Wosornu recalled the country’s past role as the “breadbasket” of the Horn of Africa, contrasting it with current famine conditions in locations like Zamzam camp in North Darfur. Nationwide, approximately 680,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity during the current lean season. Although fighting in Khartoum has lessened, the capital has been devastated, with streets and buildings littered with remnants of war, creating a “ghost town” marked by widespread trauma. Despite this, she observed signs of resilience, noting citizens sweeping streets and attempting to rebuild their lives, though full recovery will take many years.
In Chad, Ms. Wosornu commended the authorities for keeping the Adre border open, allowing aid to reach Darfur. Delivering humanitarian assistance remains extremely challenging due to travel restrictions within Sudan. Aid must travel from Douala in Cameroon through N’Djamena and onward to Adre before entering Darfur, a complex logistical effort.
Concluding her briefing, Ms. Wosornu called on the international community to improve aid access, provide additional funding, and support humanitarian efforts. She emphasized that only 55 cents per person per day is needed to sustain relief operations in Sudan. She also urged the warring parties to achieve lasting peace, stressing that humanitarian assistance alone cannot ensure recovery until the fighting ends and communities can begin rebuilding.
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