WFP Pauses Aid Operation in Sudan After 3 Workers Killed

According to the official statement, the World Food Programme has temporarily stopped all operations in Sudan after three employees were killed in clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN agency, announced in a statement on Sunday that all operations in Sudan have been put on hold while the changing security situation is assessed.

McCain stated, “WFP is committed to helping the Sudanese people who are experiencing dire food insecurity, but we cannot do our lifesaving work if the safety and security of our teams and partners are not guaranteed. A deal must be reached between all parties to ensure the security of aid workers on the ground and permit the Sudanese people to continue receiving life-saving humanitarian aid. They continue to be our top priority.

The executive director of the UN organization added that any death while providing aid is “unacceptable.” Aside from that, she demanded, “immediate steps to guarantee the safety of those who remain.”

According to the statement, McCain emphasized that WFP teams face threats that prevent them from conducting their vital work for the UN agency safely and productively.

Separately, on Saturday, a WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) aircraft was seriously hurt during gunfire at Khartoum International Airport, seriously limiting WFP’s ability to transport aid and humanitarian workers inside the nation.

Following months of tension, fierce fighting broke out across Sudan, leaving at least 56 people dead and close to 600 injured, according to many news sources. The Fighting broke out between Sudan’s military and its main paramilitary force.

Witnesses in Khartoum, the capital city, told the news agencies that fighting picked up after Sunday morning prayers and continued into the night with loud noises and explosions. There have also been reports of battles taking place in Port Sudan, a city in eastern Sudan, hundreds of miles away.

According to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, at least 56 people have died, and close to 600 have been injured in the clashes, according to many news sources.

After clashes broke out between his armed group and the nation’s military on Saturday, Sudan’s paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo claims to have taken control of most of Khartoum’s official sites.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Dagalo claimed that his organization, the Rapid Support Forces, “controls more than 90% of strategic sites in Khartoum.”

The country’s military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, refuted Dagalo’s assertions and asserted that the military has maintained control over government facilities.