The Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Carl Skau, has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in El Obeid, citing the collapse of essential services, including electricity and water, as well as worsening food insecurity in a city that is home to tens of thousands of civilians.
Skau described the humanitarian situation in El Obeid as critical, highlighting the significant challenges the WFP faces in delivering life-saving assistance into the city.
He explained that access to El Obeid is currently limited to a single supply route, making it difficult to transport sufficient quantities of food and humanitarian aid.
According to Skau, the WFP has so far reached nearly 100,000 people with assistance and is working to expand its operations to support 250,000 civilians.
He stressed that the crisis now extends beyond access constraints to include a severe funding shortage.
Skau said that the funding gap has forced the World Food Programme to scale back its operations. Instead of assisting 8 million people, the agency has only been able to provide food and humanitarian assistance to 5 million.
Meanwhile, around 20 million Sudanese remain trapped in hunger hotspots that humanitarian organizations are unable to reach with food and relief supplies, leaving them to endure acute food insecurity. In addition, 10 million people have been displaced, including children suffering from malnutrition, according to Skau.
