WFP Raises Alarm: El Obeid Emerges as Sudan’s Displacement and Hunger Hub BODY: EL OBEID, SUDAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded the alarm on El Obeid, a city in Sudan, which is fast becoming the epicentre of the country’s displacement and hunger crisis. During a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Abdallah Alwardat, WFP Sudan Country Director, highlighted the critical situation in El Obeid, a city of around half a million people that now hosts nearly double that number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to conflict in the regions of North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan, and Darfur.
The WFP has been providing food assistance to over 100,000 people in camps within El Obeid, but many more IDPs in the city require urgent assistance. Alwardat emphasized the need for additional resources to address the crisis, noting that food, water, and fuel are major concerns. El Obeid’s rapid population growth from IDPs has strained local resources, leading to a critical gap in response efforts.
Despite the generous hosting of IDPs by the local community, humanitarian needs are rapidly outpacing available assistance.
The WFP’s visit to El Obeid revealed a city under immense pressure, with open camps and many more living with host communities.
The situation is particularly dire for those outside the camps, who are struggling to access basic necessities. Alwardat’s briefing underscored the urgency of the situation, with the WFP calling for increased international support to address the crisis. He noted that while the WFP has been able to bring in food and work with partners on the ground, over the last few days some of them had not been able to bring food close to the IDPs.
The WFP’s annual report on the impact of flexible funding highlighted the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in responding to the crisis.
The report revealed that while US$1. 1 billion in flexible support from 38 public and private partners in 2024 gave the WFP the ability to act quickly in emergencies, the current situation in El Obeid requires a more substantial response.
As the situation in El Obeid continues to worsen, the WFP and other humanitarian organizations are calling for immediate action to provide food, water, and fuel to the displaced population.
The crisis in El Obeid serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the importance of timely and effective humanitarian response.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: reliefweb
Source: World Food Programme
