U.N. says Sudan on brink of famine

An emaciated child is almost beyond help

May 5, 1998
Web posted at: 8:27 p.m. EDT (0027 GMT)

AJIEP, Sudan (CNN) -- Emergency air drops of food to drought-stricken areas of southern Sudan must be followed by delivery of seeds and tools to avoid further crises, the United Nations and aid agencies said Tuesday.

Fighting and last year's severe drought in southern Sudan have led to predictions that thousands of people in the coming months will die, with the possibility of tens of thousands of deaths if the food economy collapses.

The United Nations and other aid agencies have warned of a possible famine in the area. As many as 700,000 people have been blocked from planting crops because of drought and fighting in the area between the Sudanese government and rebels in the south.

CNN's Catherine Bond reports on the situation in southern Sudan. 3 min. VXtreme video 2.8MB/48 sec./240x180 1.8MB/48 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

Relief agencies and Britain had accused Sudan of preventing aid planes from flying into the most severely affected regions. The pressure prompted Sudan to shift its position on Sunday and allow more relief flights.

Four more planes will be allowed to bring food supplies to the area in addition to the four currently used by Operation Lifeline Sudan, an umbrella group of U.N. and non-governmental organizations.

Even as aid deliveries continue, the faces of starving people show little hope

But without more supplies to grow food, the crisis may worsen. Aid agencies plan to use the extra planes to increase deliveries of seeds and tools.

"The planting season is already under way. Things needs to get moving if they're going to get a harvest in August," said Michele Quintaglie of the World Food Program.

Some areas have already received rains.

"It's encouraging that there have been rains already, because we don't want another drought. ... But it means things have to get moving quickly," Quintaglie said.

The government on Monday also offered rebels a new amnesty aimed at relieving the food shortage in the Bahr-al-Ghazal area, where most of the fighting has occurred.

But it may be too late for many malnourished Sudanese, especially children.

"I was not expecting to get it like this, but it seems day by day we are receiving severely malnourished children," said Nahashuan Arrupe of the relief group Doctors Without Borders.

In this case, severely malnourished means a 1-year-old baby who weighed 4.5 kilograms, or less than 10 pounds.

"What we've been seeing here is over 30,000 people over the last few days coming to a food distribution site, and really I haven't seen as bad cases of malnutrition in another area in Bahr al-Ghazal," said Lindsey Davies of the World Food Program.

About 1.5 million people have died in Sudan from the fighting and accompanying famines since the current conflict began in 1983. The government and rebels began new talks to end the fighting on Monday, the eighth in a series of talks since 1984.

Nairobi Bureau Chief Catherine Bond, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

 

Related stories:

• 1 million people face famine in Sudan, Ethiopia - April 10, 1998
• Opposition slams Sudan constitution talks - March 8, 1998
• Heavy fighting erupts over key Sudanese airport - January 31, 1998
• Sudan clears way for talks to end civil war - July 9, 1997

Related sites:

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• World Food Programme
  • WFP Seeks To Step Up Its Airlift Of Food Aid To Southern Sudan
• Sudanese National Democratic Alliance
• ArabNet - Sudan
• Community Aid Abroad: Sudan
• SUDAN PAGE @ Sudan.Net

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