Famine Declared in Darfur Due to Civil War

Famine has been officially declared in the Zanzam refugee camp in Sudan's Darfur region, where approximately half a million people are sheltering from the ongoing civil war. The United Nations-backed Famine Review Committee (FRC) reported that the situation has deteriorated since June, marking a significant humanitarian crisis after 15 months of conflict. This declaration is particularly alarming as it is only the third issued by the FRC in two decades and the first in over seven years, highlighting the severity of the situation. The FRC's findings serve as a critical alert to the international community, urging increased financial support to prevent further loss of life. While the declaration currently pertains only to the Zanzam camp, the report cautions that many other regions in Sudan are at risk of famine due to ongoing violence and restricted humanitarian access. The UN has described the situation in Sudan as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history, with over 10 million people displaced and more than 25 million facing acute hunger. The FRC defines famine as extreme food deprivation that can lead to starvation and high mortality rates. The last famine declaration by the FRC occurred in 2017 in South Sudan, underscoring the rarity and gravity of such announcements. Another monitoring group, FEWS NET, echoed the FRC's concerns, warning that famine conditions could extend beyond Zanzam to the broader El Fasher area, which houses an additional 800,000 people. To mitigate the crisis, the FRC has called on the warring factions to facilitate humanitarian aid and explore all avenues to resolve the underlying conflict, emphasizing that the ongoing violence is the primary driver of the famine.