CAIRO (AP) — International experts portrayed a grim picture for war-torn Sudan in a report Thursday warning that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless clashes between rival generals.
The fighting has created a hunger catastrophe at a scale not seen since the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s, senior United Nations officials said.
The latest findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia that now includes more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies.
The report said that 8.5 million people are facing extreme food shortages after 14 months of conflict in Sudan and that hunger has spread to the capital Khartoum and Jazira province, once Sudan's breadbasket.
“It is truly heartbreaking to see food scarcity and deprivation on the rise,” said John Makoni, a national director for World Vision, one of the largest aid groups working in Sudan. “We have a looming catastrophic situation that is quickly approaching."
The northeastern African country descended into chaos in April last year. That's when simmering tensions between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.
The devastating conflict has killed more than 14,000 people and wounded 33,000 others, according to the United Nations, but rights activists say the toll could be much higher.
The conflict created the world’s largest displacement crisis with more than 11 million people forced to flee their homes. Human rights experts working for the United Nations said that both warring sides used food and starvation as a war weapon.
The report on hunger said people facing the highest level of starvation in the coming months are in 10 provinces, including Khartoum; the Darfur and Kordofan regions; and the provinces of Blue Nile and Jazira. The number was zero in June 2023 and it surged to 755,000 over the past year, it said.
“The conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply routes, market systems and agricultural production, it has also severely limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already dire situation,” the report said.
Another 8.5 million people are classified in the second worst level of starvation, or Phase 4, meaning that the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing, the IPC report said. Those people are facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and excessively high disease levels, it added.
Overall, 25.6 million people, more than half of the country’s 47 million population, face “crisis or worse conditions” between June and September. It warned about a risk of famine in 14 areas “if the conflict escalates further, including through increased mobilization of local militias.”
“The situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection,” the report said. It referred to Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Jazira where fighting raged for months.
The current crisis — unlike the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s — impacts the whole country, and threatens to destabilize the entire horn of Africa region, said Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program.
"We urgently need a massive expansion of humanitarian access and funding so we can scale-up our relief operations, and halt Sudan’s slide into a humanitarian catastrophe," she said.
The conflict has wrecked the country and created a crisis that will impact its future for generations. At least 17 million children are out of school, since over 90% of the country's schools are closed because of the war. About 4 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 of those projected to be at imminent risk of dying, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“The consequences of the violence, of the displacement of the, you know, lack of food, the lack of security is just devastating for women and children in Sudan,” Russell said in an interview after her trip to Sudan earlier this week. She said UNICEF needs $840 million to continue its operations and help Sudan’s children. The U.N.'s $4.1 billion humanitarian appeal for this year was only 16% funded as of June.
“It’s important for the international community to realize that we have to get more resources to Sudan,” she said. “But we also need to push the parties, hopefully, to peace. That’s really, at the end of the day. what we need here."
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including rape, gang rape and ethnic-motivated attacks, which rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In recent months, the fighting has expanded to new areas, including agricultural centers such as Jazira province, which the RSF seized last year.
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, chief executive of nongovernmental organization Mercy Corps, said that the expansion of fighting has devastated food production, and caused severe malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, the chronically ill and older people.
“Sudan has become one of the world’s largest and most ignored man-made tragedies,” McKenna said. “This crisis demands urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.”
QU Dongyu, director-general of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, said the IPC report revealed “a deepening and rapid deterioration of the food security situation in Sudan with millions of people’s lives at risk.”
FILE - Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, on April 6, 2024. Families in Sudan’s embattled western region of Darfur finally received an emergency scale-up of food aid and nutrition supplies that are much needed to help avert looming famine, the U.N. food agency said Thursday June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Patricia Simon, File)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ian Happ hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 5-3 on Saturday, ending the Brewers’ winning streak at five games.
After the game, 11 people were injured at the stadium when an escalator malfunctione d. The Brewers said six people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and five others were treated at the ballpark.
Tyler Barnes, the senior vice president of communications and affiliate operations for the Brewers, said the malfunction resulted “in an increased downward speed.”
In the eighth, Joel Payamps (1-4) came on and walked Seiya Suzuki to open the inning, Happ then sent a 1-0 pitch 394 feet to right-center for his 11th home run of the season.
It was the second game-deciding homer in three games for Happ, whose two-run shot in the 10th gave the Cubs a 5-3 victory at San Francisco on Thursday.
“You’re facing back-end arms in those situations,” Happ said. “But trying to have the same process, believe in yourself and get yourself into a lot of positivity going into those situations.”
Payamps also walked the next two hitters after Happ before being lifted.
“You can’t walk people,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Whatever it is, you can’t walk people. You’re in the major leagues and you’re pitching at that time of the game, walks are not a possibility. If you look at our pitching staff, a lot of our success has come from not giving up free bases. A home run is a home run. Hap’s a good hitter.”
Luke Little (3-1) threw a scoreless seventh for the victory, and Porter Hodge followed with a scoreless inning. Héctor Neris allowed a hit and walk in the ninth, then struck out the final two hitters for his 11th save in 15 opportunities, and 100th career save.
“Hector made pitches when it counted in the end,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He had to make some pitches, and they had some traffic, and they laid off a couple close pitches, and some checked swings close, not called, but he made pitches.”
Chicago took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Happ walked, advanced on a single and a double play, and scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s single to right.
The Brewers answered in the bottom half when Jackson Chourio doubled to open and came around on a single and RBI fielder’s choice.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth on two singles and a hit batter, but starter Tobias Myers got Christopher Morel on an inning-ending strikeout.
In the seventh, Milwaukee’s Andrew Monasterio was caught off third on Brice Turang’s attempted steal of second, and was out at home in a rundown to end the inning.
Milwaukee erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the third, aided by several defensive lapses. Sal Frelick singled to open and stole second. Frelick was caught off second on Monasterio’s comebacker, but the Cubs botched the rundown to send Frelick to third and Monasterio to second.
Pitcher Justin Steele couldn’t corral Brice Turang’s bunt single, allowing Frelick to score. William Contreras then blooped an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of three defenders.
Two pitches in, the Cubs were up 2-0. Nico Hoerner singled on the first pitch and Michael Busch followed with his 10th homer, a 413-foot shot to center.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: LHP Jared Koenig was placed on the 15-day IL because of tightness in his left forearm. He will undergo an MRI on Monday. “There’s more to it, because today it kind of moved more toward the elbow … it’s scary stuff,” manager Pat Murphy said Saturday. Koenig faced four batters Friday in the Brewers’ 4-2 win, relieving to get out the final out with the bases loaded in the seventh, then striking out the side in the eighth. … 3B Joey Ortiz, originally back in the lineup after sitting out Friday, was scratched due to neck soreness. Ortiz pinch-ran in the ninth inning.
STEELE STILL WINLESS
Steele (0-3, 3.20 ERA) allowed three runs six innings, striking out five and walking none but remains winless in 12 starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts in June. “Wins have become a difficult stat to evaluate,” Counsell said. “Justin Steele is pitching, like I said before the game, every bit of what he did last year. He’s been really, really good.” Steele was 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA last season.
BREWERS MOVE
LHP Rob Zastrzyny was selected from Triple-A Nashville to replace Koenig. OF Chris Roller was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-5, 6.87) was scheduled to start for the Cubs in the series finale Sunday against RHP Freddy Peralta (5-4, 4.03).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Milwaukee Brewers' William Contreras hits an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Justin Steele pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch reacts as he crosses home plate after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang strikes out swinging in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Brewers' Andruw Monasterio, top right, is tagged out at home by Chicago Cubs' Luke Little (43) after being caught in a rundown during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Brewers' Andruw Monasterio (14) is tagged out at home by Chicago Cubs' Luke Little, top, after being caught in a rundown during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ watches his two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ, right, is congratulated by Seiya Suzuki (27) after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ, right, hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
