ALBAWABA - A fleet consisting of 700+ trucks carrying food supplies is on its way to villages across Sudan. This comprises 14 towns designated as "hotspots" by the World Food Programme due to the severity of food shortages and famine danger.
In total, the trucks will transport around 17,500 tons of food assistance, enough to feed 1.5 million people for one month. Since September, WFP has provided food aid to an average of 2 million people per month in Sudan, a figure that will increase with this latest surge effort.
The first food relief convoy arrived today in North Darfur's Zamzam camp, where hunger has already been established, and more convoys are on their way to other hard-to-reach locations.
The WFP convoy that landed in North Darfur's Zamzam is the first to arrive at the camp since the famine was declared in August. Fighting surrounding North Darfur's capital, El Fasher, combined with impassable roads caused by the rainy season from June to September, cut off incoming food supplies for months.
In the meantime, WFP used locally sourced food commodities to feed 100,000 people in the camp between September and October. WFP has reached over 7 million individuals in Sudan this year and plans to support over 8 million of the most severely malnourished by the end of 2024.
Laurent Bukera, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa, said in a statement: "WFP has been pushing to reach all isolated conflict zones across Sudan. The team in Sudan is working around the clock to make sure families receive the life-saving food necessary to survive".
"We desperately need this to be successful if we are to turn the tide of famine in one of the world’s worst hunger crises. These trucks carry more than just food; they carry a lifeline for people caught in the crossfire of conflict and hunger. We need guaranteed safe passage for our trucks and sustained international support to reach every family at risk" Bukera added.
