As Sudan moves rapidly towards famine, the country’s military is preventing the United Nations from delivering much-needed food through a crucial border crossing, effectively cutting off aid to hundreds of thousands of starving people in the midst of a civil war. Experts are warning that Sudan, already struggling after 15 months of conflict, could soon be facing one of the worst famines in decades.
The Sudanese military’s refusal to allow U.N. aid convoys to pass through the border crossing is hindering the comprehensive relief effort needed to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths – potentially as many as 2.5 million by the end of the year. The situation is most critical in Darfur, where a genocide occurred two decades ago. Eight of the 14 districts in Sudan at immediate risk of famine are in Darfur, just across the border that the U.N. is trying to access. Time is running out to provide assistance to these vulnerable populations.
The closed border point, located at Adré, the main crossing from Chad into Sudan, has become a subject of urgent appeals from American officials. This border crossing is crucial for delivering aid, but U.N. trucks filled with food are not allowed to pass through. This has led to a significant shortage of essential supplies in Darfur, where over 440,000 people are already on the brink of starvation.
The Sudanese military imposed the closure at the Adré crossing five months ago under the guise of preventing weapons smuggling, even though it seems illogical as other goods and people continue to flow through the border. Despite not having control over the crossing, the military’s decision has severely impacted the delivery of aid to those in need.
The U.N. is forced to respect the military’s order not to cross from Adré and instead take a longer and more dangerous route through Tine, which is controlled by a militia allied with Sudan’s army. This detour has significantly slowed down the aid delivery process, with only a fraction of the required assistance reaching Darfur. The situation is dire, with millions of people facing emergency levels of hunger.
As the risk of mass starvation in Sudan grows, the Adré closure has become a focal point of efforts by the United States to increase emergency aid. Donors pledged $2 billion in aid at a conference in Paris, but only half of that amount has been delivered so far. The lack of funds has resulted in desperate conditions in refugee camps in Chad, where thousands of people are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
In Darfur, the situation is even more critical, with only a few aid groups operating with limited resources. The World Food Program can reach just 10 percent of people in need, leaving many vulnerable populations without essential assistance. The looming famine in Sudan requires urgent and unimpeded access for aid delivery, which is currently being hindered by the military’s closure of the Adré border crossing.