August 4, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has urged action, days after famine was confirmed in Sudan’s North Darfur state. A recent assessment by the Famine Review Committee (FRC) of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) concluded that famine conditions are prevalent in parts of North Darfur, including the Zamzam camp in El Fasher. The Zamzam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, south of El Fasher town is one of the largest IDP camps with an estimated population of at least 500,000. The situation has been worsened by the escalating violence in Sudan, which has been persisting for over 15 months now, severely impeding humanitarian access. The escalation of violence in El Fasher, characterized by widespread clashes has forced many residents to seek refuge in IDP camps lacking basic services. Mamadou Dian Balde, the UNHCR Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region expressed concerns that displaced women, children and men are dying of hunger, malnutrition and disease in North Darfur. “This is a clear indication of the fragility of people forced to flee, many of them multiple times over,” he said in a statement, adding, “With appalling human rights …

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