Sudanese aid commission denies famine at IDP camp in North Darfur state

KHARTOUM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) on Sunday refuted claims of a famine at Zamzam, one of the largest camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur State of western Sudan.

"What was stated in the report of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has nothing to do with the truth," the HAC said in a statement.

"A report by the HAC in North Darfur State on August 3 indicated that a joint visit by the concerned government agencies and some international organizations to Zamzam camp on July 23 revealed the stability of the humanitarian situation there," it said.

"The HAC denies these allegations and stresses that the shortage of food and humanitarian aid at these sites and camps is mainly due to the siege imposed by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the ongoing artillery shelling by this militia on health facilities and IDP centers and camps," it added.

It stressed that talking about a famine in these camps is not consistent with the criteria and conditions necessary for declaring a famine.

On Thursday, the FEWS NET, an analysis agency monitoring food security worldwide, announced in an alert that famine was ongoing in the Zamzam camp.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said famine was prevalent in some areas of war-torn Sudan and would continue through the next two months.

The country's two warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, have traded accusations over the responsibility for the famine.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher, capital city of Sudan's North Darfur State.

The World Food Program has previously warned that the ongoing war in Sudan between the SAF and the RSF "risks triggering the world's largest hunger crisis."

Sudan has been witnessing a deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023, resulting in the loss of at least 16,650 lives. An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with approximately 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighboring countries, according to the UN data released on Monday.