The local authorities in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains Region have appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance, saying over three million are going hungry and might starve to death.
The spokesperson of the regional administration, Rania Bakeker Wanza, told Radio Tamazuji Monday that the region is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe and appealed for urgent intervention.
“Over three million people in Nuba Mountains Region are facing death because of hunger and we appeal to all the national and international organizations to intervene as the economic and hunger situation is worsening due to the ongoing war in the country,” she said. “The war has affected the country leading to an increase in the number of the population in the region as the people displaced by the conflict fled to the Nuba Mountains and now there is no food, clean drinking water, and medicines.”
Bakeker added: “The poor harvests due to poor rainfall last year have also exacerbated food insecurity in the region.”
The spokesperson also said that a locust invasion last year led to the destruction of crops.
“All the six counties of the region receive displaced persons every day and this has led to a strain on already scarce resources,” Bakeker stated.
According to the official, the rains delayed this year and many people have not yet cultivated.
“All these have led to health problems and malnutrition among IDPs, especially children, the elderly, and pregnant women, in the camps.