WHO chief warns of widespread starvation in war-ravaged Sudan

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached catastrophic levels, with starvation spreading “almost everywhere” across the war-torn nation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sounded the alarm after a recent visit to the country, calling the situation “very alarming” due to mass displacement and the onset of famine.

Speaking on the BBC’s *Today* program, Dr. Tedros highlighted that around 12 million people have been displaced in Sudan, marking the world’s largest displacement crisis. “The situation in Sudan is very alarming… the massive displacement—it’s now the largest in the world, and, of course, famine,” he said, adding that nearly half the country’s population—25 million people—are in desperate need of support.

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Despite the severity of the crisis, Dr. Tedros lamented that Sudan is not receiving the global attention it deserves, attributing the disparity to racial biases. “I think race is in the play here. That’s what I feel now. We see the pattern now,” he said, pointing out that conflicts in Africa, such as those in Sudan, often receive less media coverage and international aid compared to crises elsewhere.

“Imagine: destruction, displacement, diseases everywhere, and now famine,” he continued. Recalling his own experiences growing up amid war in Ethiopia, he added, “I know the smell of war, the image of war, the sound of war. I see the same thing in Sudan and Gaza.”

The civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has claimed thousands of lives and devastated infrastructure across the country. One of the worst-hit regions is Darfur, where a UN-backed committee recently declared a famine at a camp housing around 500,000 displaced people near the besieged city of el-Fasher.

Dr. Tedros visited a hospital and a camp for internally displaced people, describing harrowing scenes of children reduced to “skin and bone.” His urgent call for more international focus echoes earlier criticisms about unequal global responses to crises, including the difference in attention given to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022 compared to conflicts in African nations such as Ethiopia, Yemen, and Syria.

“Especially in Africa, I think the attention is really, really low,” he stressed, urging the mainstream media to shed more light on the “tragedy” unfolding in Sudan.

Efforts to mediate between Sudan’s warring factions, led by the United States and Saudi Arabia, have so far failed to bring an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, allegations of foreign involvement continue, with the United Arab Emirates accused of supporting the RSF, a claim it denies.

As the humanitarian situation deteriorates further, the global community faces increasing pressure to address Sudan’s plight before the crisis spirals even more out of control.