UN agencies warn humanitarian system in Sudan ‘could collapse’

UN aid agencies on Monday said they may be forced to scale back humanitarian aid in Sudan – home of the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis – due to funding shortfalls.“We simply can’t turn our back on the people of Sudan when they need us most,” Director General of the UN migration agency (IOM) Amy Pope said on Monday. The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don't act now."Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil conflict since 2023 between rival militaries and their backers. Some 8.6 million people remain internally displaced and 19.5 million people currently face crisis levels of food insecurity, which has been compounded by maritime disruptions and drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern.Speaking to reporters on Monday following an eight-day trip to Sudan, WFP Acting Director Carl Skau said the crisis in Sudan “by far does not get the attention it deserves.”He added that WFP has the presence and capacity to deliver an effective humanitarian response but is mostly constrained by funding.“It is possible to make a difference,” he said. “Our main problem is funding. There is a risk we will have to scale back quite significantly in the next ...