WFP Sudan Country Office Returns to Khartoum After Three Years

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Thursday the return of its country office in Sudan to the capital, Khartoum.

Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the program, said following a meeting in Khartoum with Prime Minister Kamil Idris and Abdullah Al-Wardat, the newly appointed country director for Sudan, that conditions in Khartoum have changed significantly since his last visit less than six months ago.

He added, “There is more life and activity in the city, the airport is operational, and people are gradually returning to their homes and beginning to rebuild their lives.”

He continued, “Our return to Khartoum is part of a broader United Nations effort to return to the capital. As the largest UN agency in the country, we are fully prepared to support others.”

Return operations are being facilitated through the UN Humanitarian Air Service, operated by the World Food Programme, which resumed regular flights to Khartoum last February at a frequency of three times per week.

A WFP statement noted that despite improvements in some areas of Sudan, conflict continues unabated across large parts of the country.

The number of people suffering from acute food insecurity is estimated at around 19 million, making Sudan the world’s largest hunger crisis.

Skau said, “The World Food Programme is ready to do more, but we need funding to achieve that. Where needed, we aim to reach more people with life-saving food assistance and provide nutrition to children and mothers suffering from malnutrition.”

Last year, the World Food Programme reached 12 million people with assistance in Sudan and succeeded in preventing famine in several areas.

However, the severe funding crisis facing the program threatens these fragile gains, as food stocks in the country are dwindling and are expected to run out within weeks.

The program urgently requires more than $600 million to continue life-saving operations over the next six months.

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