Beijing, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Programme announced on July 1 that if it cannot quickly obtain new funding assistance, the food aid provided to over 4 million refugees in Sudan may be suspended in the next two months.
According to media reports such as Reuters, the ongoing conflict in Sudan for over two years has led to over 4 million refugees fleeing to seven neighboring countries, but the asylum conditions in these countries are generally considered insufficient to cope with such a large refugee population.
The Sudan Times quoted Shaun Hughes, the Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Region of the World Food Programme, as saying that the decrease in donor funds from various sources and the increase in humanitarian needs have resulted in a severe shortage of operational funds for the World Food Programme. In the next two months, as resources are depleted, all aid is highly likely to cease. He called for raising approximately $200 million in funding within six months.
Hughes stated that any reduction or cessation of rationing would put child refugees at greater risk of malnutrition.
In April 2023, armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Rapid Support Force in the capital Khartoum, and the fighting subsequently spread to other areas. The conflict has resulted in approximately 30000 deaths and over 12 million people being displaced. (End)