S/PV.9698 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Sudan to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; and Mr. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management, World Food Programme. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Ms. Wosornu. Ms. Wosornu: The humanitarian situation in the Sudan remains an absolute catastrophe. A staggering 26 million people are in acute hunger. That is the equivalent of New York times three — full of starving families and malnourished children. More than 10 million people have been forced to flee their homes owing to violence, hunger and deprivation. That includes 726,000 people displaced within and from Sennar state, south-east of the country, following the advance of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the state. That amounts to three quarters of a million people displaced in just six weeks. The Sudan’s health-care system has collapsed. Two thirds of the population cannot go to a hospital or see a doctor. Heavy rains have flooded residential neighbourhoods and displacement sites in recent weeks, including in Kassala and North Darfur, increasing the risk of cholera and waterborne diseases. An entire generation of children is missing out on a second straight year of their education. Khartoum — the capital of the Sudan, once the beating heart of the country — is in ruins. As the Council will hear from my colleague from the World Food Programme, our worst fears were confirmed last week: the Famine Review Committee concluded that famine conditions are present in Zamzam camp, close to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. That is the same camp for which Médecins sans frontières issued a warning six months ago, in which one child was dying every two hours from malnutrition. The Famine Review Committee also found that famine conditions are also likely present in other displacement camps in and around the city. That announcement should stop all of us cold, because when famine happens, it means that we are too late. It means that we did not do enough. It means that we, the international community, have failed. This is an entirely human-made crisis and a shameful stain on our collective conscience. Hunger is not the only threat people are facing in the Sudan; 480 days of conflict have pushed millions of civilians into a quagmire of violence, and with it, death, injury and inhumane treatment. The conflict has also destroyed the essential infrastructure that civilians need to survive. We have grave concerns about war crimes being committed throughout this conflict. The women and girls of the Sudan continue to be exposed to the worst of the parties’ conduct. Since our most recent briefing (see S/PV.9659), new reports have revealed horrific levels of conflict-related sexual violence in Khartoum, targeting girls as young as 9 years of age. Access to emergency health-care and gender-based violence services is shrinking. Suicide rates among survivors are increasing. The number of children born out of rape is surging. The humanitarian community in the Sudan continues to work against all odds to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in need. Heeding the warning signs that we have consistently shared with the Council, we launched a plan in April to mount a significantly integrated response in hunger hotspots across the country, spanning food assistance, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene. We are expanding our operational footprint in areas where food insecurity is most acute and working more with local partners — the heroes of that response — including women-led organizations and community-led initiatives, which are at the forefront of response efforts in those areas. We are exploring every possible avenue to reach affected communities, including through airlifts. As a first step, we do need the necessary permissions to assess the relevant airstrips. We are scaling up cash in areas in which markets are functioning. There are plans to distribute more than $100 million in cash and voucher assistance before the end of the year. And we are delivering seeds and other inputs to support farmers, because, while people have been able to plant in some areas, insecurity and conflict are preventing many other communities from engaging in agricultural activities. According to our colleagues from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 1,500 metric tons of sorghum seeds have reached or are en route to South, Central and East Darfur to support more than 150,000 farmers. That represents only 24 per cent of the 642,000 farmers originally targeted for such deliveries in Darfur and Kordofan before the planting season ends in August. I am pleased to note that, since May, humanitarian partners have reached 2.5 million people in areas designated as Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 4 and 5, including 1.8 million people with food security and livelihood assistance, 800,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene support, and 237,000 people with health care. In short, we are pushing from every possible angle to stop this catastrophe from getting worse. But we cannot go very far without the access and resources we need. Aid workers in the Sudan continue to be harassed, attacked and even killed. Convoys of life-saving supplies such as food, medicine and fuel have been looted and subject to extortion. That must stop. Obstruction is widespread. In just one example, three trucks carrying therapeutic food were blocked by the RSF for over a month in Kabkabiya, west of El Fasher, depriving malnourished children in Zamzam camp of the assistance they desperately need to survive. The recent escalation in Sennar has further cut off the southern route, which used to be our main crossline route for humanitarian aid from Port Sudan to Kordofan and Darfur. Meanwhile, access via the northern route through Al Dabbah has been intermittent due to active conflict, insecurity, obstruction and delayed permissions. Life-saving supplies in Port Sudan are ready to be loaded and dispatched to Zamzam, including essential medicines, nutritional supplies, water purification tablets and soap. It is crucial that the necessary approvals and security assurances not be delayed. Relief supplies for people in Zamzam are also readily available in eastern Chad, but heavy rains have flooded the Tiné crossing — the only cross-border route that we are currently permitted to use between eastern Chad and Darfur after the Sudanese authorities revoked permission for the use of the Adré crossing in February. As a result, we simply cannot move the large volumes of supplies required to save lives and fight back famine. The Adré crossing, with its tarmac roads and shorter distance, would be the most effective route and would allow assistance to be delivered at the speed and scale required at this crucial, critical point. Assistance delayed is assistance denied for the many Sudanese civilians who are literally dying of hunger during the time it takes for clearances to come through, permits to be granted and floodwaters to subside. Meanwhile, the Sudan humanitarian appeal is just 32 per cent funded — $874 million has been received out of the $2.7 billion we need. We are more than seven months into the year. How can we possibly mitigate the humanitarian situation, let alone fight back famine without adequate support? On 20 March, we assumed our responsibilities under resolution 2417 (2018) and warned the Council about the risk of famine and widespread insecurity due to the conflict in the Sudan. We have continued to sound the alarm at every one of the six briefings since then. Let me be clear: it is still possible to stop the freight train of suffering that is charging through the Sudan but only if we respond with the urgency that the moment demands. Allow me to reiterate our four main asks, which members also heard from us when we briefed the Council in March. First, the conflict must stop. Silencing the guns will bring immediate relief to the civilian population and allow the rapid delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country. Secondly, as long as the fighting continues, the parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Those who commit serious violations, including sexual violence, as I stated earlier, must be held accountable. Thirdly, in line with international humanitarian law, we need rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access across the Sudan, through all possible routes. Given the massive hunger crisis unfolding in North Darfur and other parts of the country, we need to reach people now, across borders, across battle lines, by land and by air. Fourthly, we need more resources. We need them now. If we do not receive adequate funding for the aid operation — including flexible funding that can better enable the work of local partners — the response will grind to a halt. If we had those four things, the picture in the Sudan, including in Zamzam camp, would be very different. In the 15 times we have briefed the Council since April 2023, we have used many words to describe the crisis. But the people of the Sudan desperately need and deserve more than our words. They need the Council, all States Members of the United Nations and the wider international community to act and to pull the Sudan back from the abyss.

I thank Ms. Wosornu for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Omollo. Mr. Omollo: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council on the humanitarian disaster now unfolding in the Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies have been warning for months of a widespread collapse in food security across the country. We have been clear that famine is a real and dangerous possibility, caused by the raging conflict, widespread displacement and, above all, the denial of humanitarian access by the warring parties. In March, the WFP briefed Council members following the release of a white note under resolution 2417 (2018), which signalled that famine was imminent. We warned then that aid agencies were being blocked from accessing significant parts of the country with food and other essential supplies. But our warnings have not been heard. The Famine Review Committee (FRC) has concluded that there is famine in Zamzam camp, near El Fasher, in North Darfur. The FRC is also warning that other areas, Darfur and elsewhere, are at a high risk of famine if urgent action is not taken to provide life-saving assistance at the required scale. As you have heard from my colleague from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than half of the Sudan’s population is facing crisis levels of hunger, and the numbers continue to climb. More than 750,000 people are currently classified as being in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) phase 5. They are experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. And an estimated 730,000 children are projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition this year, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition. This is the first time that the FRC has confirmed a famine for more than seven years and only the third time since the global monitoring system was launched 20 years ago. Conditions throughout the Sudan are indeed appalling and getting worse by the day. This forgotten crisis has not received the political and diplomatic attention it desperately needs, and yet it has wider implications and threatens to destabilize the wider region. Last week’s confirmation of famine must serve as a wake-up call for the international community and for members of the Council. There must now be a coordinated diplomatic effort to address the widespread operational challenges and impediments that aid agencies are facing every day, as we try to reach the millions of Sudanese people in abject need. All parties to the conflict are failing to meet their obligations and commitments under international humanitarian law. We all know that the humanitarian space is shrinking all the time. Expanded access and new supply lines across the borders and across the conflict lines are vital to enabling aid agencies to meet the extraordinary needs that exist. But the obstacles to securing them are truly immense. Both parties to the conflict are routinely blocking requests for cross-line clearances. That is severely restricting the amount of aid getting through and preventing us from operating at scale. Restrictions imposed on cross-border routes are another major obstacle, preventing agencies from reaching communities in Darfur and the Kordofans. The Tiné crossing from Chad is open, but the rainy season has significantly reduced delivery capacity, and it is unlikely to be usable for much longer. It is therefore essential that the Adré crossing is officially made available to aid agencies without further delay. Sustained and predictable flows of humanitarian supplies are crucial to halting the mounting death toll. Despite the huge challenges faced by our teams on the ground, the WFP is working day and night to get life-saving food to where it is needed the most. We are significantly scaling up operations across the country to curb the spread of famine, boosting our capacity, presence and resources. We seek to substantially increase the number of people we support. The WFP will prioritize reaching people facing emergency and catastrophic levels of hunger — IPC level 4 and 5 — along with those who have been internally displaced. The WFP will also continue supporting refugees who have fled the bloodshed into neighbouring countries, such as Chad, South Sudan and Libya. We intend to provide a mix of in-kind food assistance, with cash deployed wherever markets are still functioning. We will also procure locally, when feasible, in an effort to support local markets and economies. Humanitarian agencies will do everything we can to prevent famine from engulfing the Sudan, but we can only operate where conditions allow and where we are granted access. Now, more than ever, we need the Security Council to focus on the crisis and use its influence on the warring parties to halt the conflict that is tearing the Sudan apart. A ceasefire remains the only sustainable solution that will prevent the further spread of famine. Until that day, we urgently need the Council’s help to ensure we can carry out our work effectively and without interference. First, we need increased and flexible funding to support the rapid scale-up of the relief operation. The Sudan is critically underfunded, as members heard from my colleague from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and that has to change if we are to save lives. Secondly, we need effective diplomacy to secure cross-border supply routes, via Adré and other border entry points, from Chad, South Sudan, Libya and Egypt. Thirdly, we need the Council’s assistance to stop routine interference with humanitarian deliveries and movements, including a range of bureaucratic restrictions. Finally, all parties must uphold their commitments under international humanitarian law and under resolution 2417 (2018). Halting the famine now underway requires political will and leadership. The WFP calls on the Security Council to provide that. The people of the Sudan, exhausted by war and broken by hunger, deserve no less. We must not let them down.

I thank Mr. Omollo for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu and Mr. Omollo for their briefings and for the work of their teams in the Sudan. There is only one possible conclusion from the Famine Review Committee’s data — there is famine in the Sudan, and that famine is entirely man-made. Today 100 Sudanese civilians, men, women and children, will die from starvation. Tomorrow, 100 more will die. That appalling loss of life will continue until the warring parties put the Sudanese people before power. The level of suffering in the Sudan is unimaginable. It exists far beyond Zamzam camp, and it is a direct consequence of the actions of the warring parties. The Sudanese Armed Forces are obstructing aid delivery into Darfur, including by shutting the Adré crossing, the most direct route to deliver assistance at scale. The Rapid Support Forces’ ongoing assault on Darfur has forced thousands to flee and created the conditions for starvation to spread. It does not need to be that way. The warring parties and those with influence can take immediate action to prevent further suffering. First, we call on the warring parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. That includes opening the Adré crossing, lifting bureaucratic obstacles and taking measures to protect aid workers, so they can deliver food to starving communities. Secondly, there is no military solution to the crisis. We call on the warring parties to join talks in Geneva and engage in good faith to agree steps to a durable ceasefire, full humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. Thirdly, in March, the Secretary-General released a white note under resolution 2417 (2018) to warn the Council of the risk of famine in the Sudan. The United Nations warnings and calls for action have been ignored by the warring parties, just as they have ignored international calls for a ceasefire, including by the Council. In the face of such blatant disregard for human life, the Council should consider all necessary tools to end this man-made crisis. It is not too late to prevent further suffering, but the time to act is now.

I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Mr. Omollo from the World Food Programme (WPF) for their sobering remarks and for their very clear appeal to the Council. We commend and appreciate their tireless efforts to help the people of the Sudan. Slovenia felt an unquestionable obligation to support the convening of this meeting following alarming reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. I have to begin with my utmost conviction that famine has no place in the twenty-first century. First, when my team and I were preparing to join the Council as an elected member, there were many difficult challenges, tricky dilemmas and tough decisions that we were bracing ourselves for. However, there is nothing that can prepare one for a discussion about utterly senseless, avoidable and entirely preventable man- made famine. There is hardly anything that can prepare one for a famine declaration that confirms conservative estimates of 750,000 people on the brink of starvation and death and 48 million people in a situation of chronic hunger. One should not have to prepare for a famine declaration that confirms skyrocketing non-trauma mortality among adults and children alike in the Zamzam internally displaced person camp near the city of El Fasher and an unprecedented growth of graves around it. Secondly, 15 months into the conflict, we strongly reiterate our call for unimpeded humanitarian access via all available cross-line and cross-border routes to prevent further suffering. The Council has heard over and over again about the sufficiency of the Tiné crossing. I took a closer look at the situation at the crossing. A body of water  — hardly possible to cross  — cannot be a sufficient humanitarian entry point. That is why better connectivity must be prioritized. The opening of the Adré corridor, as confirmed today by OCHA and the WPF, would bring much needed relief to the local communities, and we strongly appeal to the Sudanese authorities to consider that option. It looks like the only option to prevent further deaths from starvation. We are deeply concerned about the added pressure on communities in the light of the climate-induced heavy rainfall and danger of flash floods. That is why we are asking for functional access, the full facilitation of humanitarian aid by all sides, the protection of aid workers and the prevention of bureaucratic hurdles for humanitarian partners, including smoother visa procedures for international non-governmental humanitarian actors. Slovenia underlines the importance of the United Nations famine response plan and food aid deliveries as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations emergency agriculture programmes and support for crop production, livestock and fisheries to enhance local food production. In response to the urgent funding needs, the Government of Slovenia confirmed an additional contribution to the World Food Programme for the Horn of Africa. Thirdly, a durable political solution is the only way to fully avert the spread of famine and alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Sudan. Slovenia repeats its call for an immediate ceasefire as demanded by resolution 2736 (2024). We welcome the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sudan, Mr. Lamamra, including the convening of the recent proximity talks in Geneva. We also welcome other international and regional diplomatic efforts to bring the warring parties on the path of dialogue towards an immediate and durable ceasefire. This Council meeting must serve as another united call for the warring parties to implement their agreed commitments and move the needle in the political standstill. We fear that Zamzam is not an isolated case. Reports indicate that conditions in the Abu Shouk and Al-Salam camps are equally alarming. There are two clear drivers of hunger — the violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces and the obstacles posed to humanitarian access on both sides. We reiterate our call to the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to comply with resolution 2147 (2014), on hunger and conflict, and 2736 (2024), on El Fasher. The use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited by international humanitarian law, on top of being utterly inhumane. There is no humanitarian action that can replace the cessation of hostilities. No humanitarian agency can override the protection crisis while the arms embargo is being repeatedly violated, and no financial contribution echoes louder than the silencing of the guns.

I would like to thank the representatives of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme — Ms. Edem Wosornu and Mr. Stephen Omollo, respectively — for their sobering and very clear briefings and for their ongoing commitment to the humanitarian response in the Sudan. We salute the tireless efforts of international and local humanitarian organizations in responding to this crisis, which is racking up tragic statistics, including the world’s highest number of internally displaced people and people suffering from acute food insecurity. We are dismayed by the disclosure, by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, of cases of famine in Zamzam camp, near the capital — El Fasher. Four months ago, we were warned of the real risk of famine at a meeting (see S/PV.9611) convened under resolution 2417 (2018). That scenario is now materializing before our very eyes. The devastating armed conflict that continues unabated is the main cause. In view of the desperate situation of the civilian population, Switzerland reiterates three urgent appeals. First, we call on all parties to the conflict to immediately silence their weapons in the Sudan and, in particular, in El Fasher. We encourage dialogue on a political solution to the war and support any initiative to that end. We welcome the encouraging first steps taken in recent weeks, under the leadership of the Secretary- General’s Personal Envoy, in the hope that they will translate into progress on the ground. Secondly, all parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. As we heard just now, despite the enhanced United Nations presence throughout the territory, the ongoing conflict and current heavy rains and flooding are making it even more difficult to deliver humanitarian aid. The implementation of resolutions 2724 (2024) and 2736 (2024) is crucial to enable the quick, safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid across all border crossings and front lines, pursuant to international humanitarian law. Although there have been encouraging improvements in recent weeks, bureaucratic and administrative obstacles to humanitarian actors persist. These must be removed immediately. Thirdly, an urgent and tangible increase in financial support is essential to help the most vulnerable. Significant funding gaps remain, including for local organizations that are at the forefront of response efforts. Switzerland remains committed to the humanitarian response in the Sudan and the region. The facts in the Famine Review Committee’s report that led us to convene this meeting are a call to action. Famine is setting in, and we fear that it will spread to other parts of the country. The international community must mobilize the necessary resources and political commitment to respond. As one of the two informal focal points on conflict and hunger, Switzerland calls on all members of the Council to assume their responsibilities, as set out in resolution 2417 (2018), unanimously adopted six years ago. We must remain mobilized to break the vicious circle between armed conflict and hunger. Diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities and find a peaceful solution to the conflict must continue. In the meantime, and in general, respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, is paramount.

I would like to thank Ms. Edem Wosornu and Mr. Stephen Omollo for their briefings. I welcome the presence of the representative of the Sudan at this morning’s Council meeting. There is no longer any doubt about the situation: famine has taken hold in the Sudan, which is experiencing the worst levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in its history, with more than half of its population — 25.6 million people — suffering from acute hunger. The latest report from the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification notes a famine situation for the first time in more than seven years. Over the past 15 months, the humanitarian situation in the Sudan has continued to deteriorate, as the conflict intensifies and spreads to new regions of the country. Agriculture and the entire food supply chain are affected. Fields are destroyed or inaccessible. The lack of water, electricity and fuel is leading to the virtual collapse of all- food systems. This situation is particularly unacceptable given that it is entirely caused by the parties to the conflict. The Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and allied armed groups must comply with international law. We urge them to guarantee the protection of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid and food aid, as they committed to do in Jeddah. We call on them to let United Nations agencies and all humanitarian actors do their work by guaranteeing safe and unhindered access so that they can bring emergency relief to the people who so urgently need it. In 2018, the Council adopted resolution 2417 (2018), which, for the first time, condemned the use of famine as a weapon of war, as well as the lack of humanitarian access and the civilian deprivation of goods essential to their survival. That resolution must be fully implemented. The only way to put an end to this tragic situation is to achieve a cessation of hostilities with a view to reaching a lasting settlement of the conflict through dialogue. In that respect, we welcome the negotiations conducted in July in Geneva, under the auspices of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Ramtane Lamamra. These efforts must continue in order to achieve a peaceful settlement to the conflict, on the basis of international and regional peace initiatives, as expressed in the Declaration of Principles adopted in Paris on 15 April 2024. We support the work of the United Nations and all efforts led by the United States, the region and the Sudan’s neighbours. We call on both parties to participate in the talks in Geneva starting on 14 August. France and the European Union will remain mobilized to contribute to the international response to the populations suffering from the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan and the impact of the conflict in the region. This mobilization builds on the Paris conference in April, during which donor countries made financial commitments of more than €2 billion, including €900 million from the European Union and its member States to provide support to the populations affected by the fighting and to deal with the famine. Two thirds of the funds pledged have already been disbursed. We encourage the international partners to honour the commitments they made at the conference.

At the outset, as I am addressing the Council for the first time during this month, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and Sierra Leone for assuming the presidency. I assure you of our support during your tenure. I would also like to thank Russia for its successful presidency during the month of July. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, namely, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and my own country, Algeria, plus Guyana (A3+). At the outset, we take this opportunity to thank Director Edem Wosornu of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and World Food Programme Assistant Executive Director Stephen Omollo for their respective remarks. We welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of the Sudan at this meeting. We meet today to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation prevailing in the Sudan, a situation that is growing progressively worse. The recent report from the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) provided critical insights into the prevailing situation in the Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. We have taken keen note of the conclusions, for example, that in Zamzam camp, during the August to October projection period, the Famine Review Committee found it plausible that famine — IPC phase 5 — will persist. That new analysis, although unable to ascertain actual numbers given data constraints, highlights the high likelihood of similar conditions prevailing in other IDP sites in the El Fasher area. Moreover, the projections for the next months related to livelihoods, trade flows, humanitarian access and disease outbreaks are alarming. More than 25 million people in the Sudan — mothers, fathers, children and the elderly — are facing acute food insecurity, and hundreds of thousands of people are being presented with only two grim realities: war and famine. The A3+ has noted the Famine Review Committee’s assessment that many other areas in the Sudan will remain at risk of famine as long as the conflict and limited humanitarian access continue. Against that backdrop, the A3+ would like to stress the following points. First, there is an urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access. All parties must play their part in facilitating critical humanitarian assistance across borders and across conflict lines. Multiple cross- border access points are required now more than ever to prevent a further humanitarian catastrophe. We also encourage collective efforts and sustained cooperation on the part of the Sudanese Government in deploying all means to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches those trapped in conflict zones. Secondly, humanitarian access must go hand in hand with scaled-up resources and adequate funding to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people. Just a few weeks ago, during our most recent briefing (see S/PV.9659), we learned that the humanitarian response plan for the Sudan remained less than 35 per cent funded. Unfortunately, the regional refugee response plan is in a similar situation. We therefore reiterate our call on the international community to redouble its efforts to enhance humanitarian funding and strengthen the regional response. In particular, we reiterate our call on neighbouring countries to support those who manage to escape the conflict. Thirdly, we remain gravely concerned by the siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces on the city of El Fasher and the deadly clashes in the surrounding villages. The A3+ appeals to the warring parties to put the people of the Sudan first, and it reiterates its call for a humanitarian ceasefire in order to allow safe evacuation into conflict-free zones. Fourthly, we are encouraged by ongoing mediation efforts, including the recent Geneva proximity talks convened by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary- General, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra. We welcome those engagements and call on the parties to participate in good faith. We fully support the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General and those of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to bring peace and tranquillity to the Sudan. We also take this opportunity to underscore the need for coordinated efforts, while building on existing and future mediation initiatives, avoiding silos and duplicated actions. In that regard, the recent Djibouti mediation retreat was another step in the right direction. Similarly, external interference fuelling the crisis and impeding advancement towards peace must be publicly and firmly condemned. It is crucial for the international community to stand as one in order to end the unspeakable suffering of the Sudanese people and to allow them to live in peace and security. We cannot stand idly by while an entire nation teeters on the brink of collapse. The time for action is now. Every moment of delay costs precious lives. Let us unite with unwavering determination to bring hope, peace and lasting stability to the people of the Sudan.

I thank Director Wosornu and World Food Programme Assistant Executive Director Omollo for their briefings. The Sudan has reached a dire juncture because of this absolutely senseless war. Famine has been officially declared in the Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in the El Fasher region of North Darfur, where more than 500,000 people are sheltering. Experts suspect that famine is also occurring in nearby Abu Shouk and Al Salaam IDP camps. That official declaration by the Famine Review Committee confirms what we already knew: people are dying, and have been dying, in the Sudan from starvation. Families who fled horrific violence have been going hungry for months. Children have been eating dirt and leaves. And every day, babies have been starving to death. And yet, despite the fact that humanitarian assistance is available, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have chosen to let the Sudanese people starve, systematically blocking humanitarian corridors. That includes the SAF restricting humanitarians from surging supplies through the critical Adré border crossing, which is only hours from Zamzam camp. Just like they blocked aid movements from Adré with a single note verbale, the SAF and the Government in Port Sudan could end this obstruction today. According to Doctors without Borders, there is only enough food to treat malnourished children in Zamzam camp for another two weeks. Doctors without Borders has had to cap the number of children who receive this treatment, because the RSF have blocked the group’s supply trucks. That is outrageous. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has called on the international community to care more, to give more and to do more. The United States has led by example, raising this conflict within and outside the Security Council, working to bring parties to the negotiating table to end the violence and leading the humanitarian response by providing over $1.6 billion in assistance to the Sudan and neighbouring countries since the conflict began in 2023. But right now, the RSF and the SAF must remove barriers to aid and allow desperately needed food, water and medicine to flow freely and at multiple entry points, across borders and conflict lines. They must also participate constructively in ceasefire talks and silence the guns once and for all. The United States urges Generals Al-Burhan and Hemedti to attend the ceasefire talks in Switzerland on 14 August. The people of the Sudan deserve nothing less. There is no military solution to the war. The toll is being measured in the tragic loss of civilian lives, displacement of millions from their homes, acute malnourishment, rape, torture and other ill treatment, and ethnic cleansing. The United States condemns all violence against unarmed civilians, including the reprehensible RSF attacks in El Fasher and Wad Al-Nura. We as the Council, and key stakeholders in the region, including the African Union, the Arab League and the broader international community need to act collectively to end the crisis.

I thank Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Mr. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management at the World Food Programme for their briefings. As we have just heard, the Sudan is in a full-blown humanitarian crisis. More than 10.7 million people have been internally displaced, 25.6 million people face acute hunger, and more than 750,000 are on the brink of famine. Last week’s finding of plausible famine in areas of Darfur, such as the Zamzam internally displaced persons camp and the Abu Shouk and Al Salaam camps in El Fasher, are staggering. Regrettably, they were also predictable, as the conflict and operating conditions for humanitarians continued to worsen. While the United Nations, its humanitarian agencies and international non-governmental organization partners have worked to scale up their response, aid obstruction and deliberate interference by the parties have proved to be the greatest barrier. Malta once again calls on the parties to stringently abide by their obligations to facilitate aid and cease interference in aid operations. The use of arbitrary, bureaucratic and administrative impediments to deliberately slow or obstruct aid delivery is a violation of international humanitarian law. In addition, the reported instances of pillaging of humanitarian supplies are unacceptable. All violations of international human rights law and the use of starvation as a weapon of war must immediately cease, and we once again reiterate our support for the work of the International Criminal Court in that regard. The cross-line movement of humanitarian supplies and staff to Darfur, parts of Khartoum, El Gezira and Kordofan has been subject to severe restrictions or cut off for months. Despite repeated calls, including by the Secretary-General and the Council, on both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to facilitate humanitarian access, people in the Sudan are slipping further into catastrophe. In February, the Sudanese Armed Forces closed the border crossing at Adré for use by the United Nations and its humanitarian partners seeking to reach the RSF- held Darfur region. State sovereignty was invoked to redirect the United Nations response to Tiné, where SAF-allied militias control the crossing. As we have heard from humanitarians on the ground, using that crossing is a lengthy, dangerous and expensive journey. Since the closure of the border crossing at Adré, the number of people facing emergency levels of hunger grew from 4.9 million to 8.5 million people in July 2024. Media reports also indicate that the level of aid being delivered remains far below the necessary levels. In the light of those obstructions, the Council must prevent any instrumentalization of the guiding principles of humanitarian assistance that may block or prevent aid from reaching those dying of hunger and dehydration in Darfur. We recall the necessity of crossline authorizations, the reopening of Adré and similar crossings from Chad and other neighbouring countries for use by the United Nations and its partners. That will allow a surge of humanitarian assistance to reach those in areas where famine has plausibly taken hold. Finally, and in conclusion, we call on the SAF and the RSF to faithfully and genuinely engage with the good offices of Personal Envoy Lamamra and move forward with commitments made in Geneva and Djibouti last month, ahead of the upcoming talks on 14 August. Only by ending this war can we ensure the greatest protection for the Sudan’s most vulnerable.

I thank Ms. Wosornu of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Mr. Omollo of the World Food Programme for their briefings. I welcome the presence of the representative of the Sudan at today’s meeting. The conflict in the Sudan has dragged on for 16 months. The large number of civilian  casualties and displacements caused by the fighting and the ever- worsening humanitarian crisis are truly worrisome. It is the strong desire of the Sudanese people and the urgent expectation of the international community that the situation be de-escalated as soon as possible, that humanitarian challenges be properly addressed and that peace return at an early date. In the light of the theme of today’s discussion, I would like to make three points. First, humanitarian assistance should be stepped up. Having studied the relevant report recently issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee, we wish to register our serious concern about the humanitarian situation in the Sudan, especially the striking food crisis mentioned in the report. In the face of unprecedented humanitarian challenges, the international community should continue to increase its attention and investment, fulfil its aid commitments in a timely manner and effectively help to alleviate the current humanitarian crisis. At the same time, development partners should also increase their support to the Sudan in terms of livelihoods, security and economic development and help the country enhance its capacity, stabilize its economy and work to mitigate the impact on the economy and people’s ability to make a living. Secondly, we should ensure that the humanitarian assistance operations go smoothly. Every effort should be made to deal with the dire crisis, and it will be vital to ensure access for humanitarian workers so that food, water and other aid materials can be quickly delivered to everyone in the Sudan in need. China supports United Nations humanitarian agencies in their efforts to that end and welcomes the fact that the Government of the Sudan has opened a number of humanitarian border crossings and airports and is cooperating with the United Nations in the area of humanitarian assistance. International humanitarian operations should strengthen their coordination with the Sudanese authorities, abide by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and avoid politicizing humanitarian actions. The discussions of humanitarian assistance and access should be about a genuine commitment to saving lives, while humanitarian assistance and food security should not be used as a tool for pressure and sanctions. Thirdly, humanitarian issues and a political solution should be synchronized. Persuading the parties to the conflict to return to dialogue and negotiation and implement a ceasefire as soon as possible is fundamental to alleviating the humanitarian crisis. We call on the parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, avoid harming civilians as much as possible and make every effort to protect agricultural land, maintain irrigation systems and other agricultural infrastructure and promote a resumption of agriculture production as soon as possible. As we speak, many international mediators are hard at work. We support the United Nations in continuing to maintain contact with all the relevant parties and in promoting greater coordination and synergy among the various mediating parties with a view to facilitating a political solution to the question of the Sudan as soon as possible. Together with the international community, China stands ready to continue its positive efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan, stop the fighting and achieve lasting peace.

We are grateful to Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Mr. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management of the World Food Programme (WFP), for their briefings. We agree with some of their views on the very difficult humanitarian situation in the Sudan resulting from the armed conflict there, which has already lasted almost a year and a half. According to WFP data, more than 25 million Sudanese are experiencing “serious” shortages of food — that is, the third phase of United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) 3. In greater Darfur, and its northern areas in particular, the situation is even more alarming, as the July report of the Famine Review Committee testifies. Today we are therefore focused on the refugee camps near El Fasher, Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam. Some delegations have been interpreting the data to suggest that there is already a full-scale famine in those camps. We do not doubt that the situation is extremely difficult, primarily thanks to an influx of refugees and internally displaced persons in recent weeks. This is about not tens but hundreds of thousands of new residents in the camps who have been forced to flee the fighting to seek shelter and sustenance. Nevertheless, we would like to draw attention to the fact that IPC 5, the highest level of food insecurity, has not been declared there. The authors of the report clearly indicate that when they prepared it, they had access only to limited data, and that the statistics therefore amount to predictions. In essence, the experts are warning us of the theoretical probability of a catastrophe but have not concluded that there is one. Unfortunately, the authors seem to be totally ignorant of the views of the authorities in Port Sudan on the food security situation. The one-sided approach of United Nations staff and some Security Council members is not acceptable, as they have clearly seized on the issue of famine and the humanitarian situation to promote their own political agendas in the Sudan and other vulnerable countries. That raises questions about how the data was collected, which humanitarian workers exactly were involved in that work and whether they actually visited the problematic areas or came to their conclusions sitting at home or in their offices, as has often been the case in the past. I would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to the fact that the situation in other parts of the country, including those with vast agricultural lands, is also bad. That includes the states of El Gezira and Sennar, where there are regular raids by armed groups affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces that are preventing Sudanese farmers from working normally, including planting crops. Logistics are being disrupted and it has therefore not been possible to transport sufficient food to market. There is still a risk of those raids expanding to Al-Qadarif, another agriculturally productive state in the eastern Sudan. We are convinced that the key to resolving those pressing food problems lies in closer and more active cooperation between humanitarian workers and the authorities in Port Sudan. It is they who should determine what the best forms of assistance for their country are and decide which border crossing points should be used for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. That also applies to the Adré crossing point. We are sure that Port Sudan is indeed interested in such cooperation. For its part, the international community should not interfere in the domestic affairs of the Sudan on the pretext of the severe humanitarian situation by telling the legitimate authorities which humanitarian corridors should be open. In that context, we also want to point to Western partners’ practice of convening humanitarian conferences without the presence of official representatives of the countries being discussed at such forums, which looks bad and smacks of colonialism, as was the case with the April 2024 Paris humanitarian conference on the Sudan. While we are not denying the fact that the Sudan is indeed facing serious food challenges and threats of famine, they are primarily the result not of a lack of food but of problems with its distribution and logistical issues in a number of the regions beset by fighting. Another important factor is poverty and a lack of financial opportunities for the people. We believe that rather than exploiting the famine issue in order to inflate and dramatize the problems in this area, as well as insisting on questionable routes for humanitarian assistance in the country, it would be better to prioritize the development of agriculture and farmers’ access to markets and to expand food voucher programmes for the population. We know that relevant United Nations agencies are doing that kind of work, and we support an expansion of such assistance programmes. We believe that the best contribution that Council members can make would be to establish close cooperation with the country’s authorities in order to set up flexible and sustainable humanitarian assistance programmes. So far, the opposite has been happening, unfortunately. We see the ostentatious enthusiasm of some Council members for addressing humanitarian problems in the Sudan without respect for its sovereignty. It contrasts vividly with their attitude to the dire situation proved by humanitarian workers in other crisis hotspots such as Gaza, where the solution is a lot more obvious. I cannot recall that any of the Western members of the Council have called for holding a meeting on the inevitable threat of famine in Gaza, let alone demanding that Israel, as the occupying Power, take the obvious steps required to provide assistance to those in need. We see that as a blatant example of double standards. More generally, addressing the humanitarian problem in the Sudan is inextricably linked to the need for an immediate end to the fighting and for a political solution. Once the acute phase of the conflict is over, it will be important to implement practical measures for resuming as broad an intra-Sudanese dialogue as possible. At the same time, in our view, any destructive external interference in the affairs of the friendly State of the Sudan is unacceptable. We are convinced the Sudanese people can and should be able to resolve their domestic problems themselves.

I would like to thank Director Wosornu, of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Mr. Omollo, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme, for their sobering briefings today. I am also grateful to my fellow Council members for requesting this timely and important briefing upon the issuance of the report by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Zamzam camp in North Darfur. Let me start my statement by repeating Japan’s grave concern about the dire humanitarian situation that the Sudanese people are facing. The spread of violence and continued violations of international law, including many cases of sexual and gender-based violence, remains extremely alarming. Regarding food insecurity in the Sudan, Japan is deeply concerned about the situation of Zamzam camp, as detailed in the IPC report, which indicates that famine — IPC phase 5 — is plausibly ongoing and will persist in the coming months. The report shockingly concludes that the mortality rate in the camp has exceeded the threshold of famine. Japan also notes that the report finds it highly likely that similar conditions prevail in other camps in the area. At the national level, according to briefers, nearly one third of the country’s population is facing acute food insecurity, and women, children and girls are particularly affected. The Sudanese Government has indicated that food insecurity is caused mainly by a lack of access. The situation will worsen next year because the Sudan lacks agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and insecticide, and farmers will not be able to properly plant crops. Briefers are also concerned about the risk of communicable diseases, including cholera and dengue fever, because of heavy rain and flooding. To end this prolonged suffering, all parties involved must help establish the necessary conditions for an immediate cessation of hostilities throughout the country; enter into serious and direct negotiations, as called for by the Jeddah process mediators; and agree and implement an immediate and lasting ceasefire, without conditions. Japan also urges all parties to uphold resolution 2736 (2024), calling for an immediate halt to the fighting and for de-escalation in and around El Fasher. We also demand that the parties ensure the protection of civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and request that the parties allow and facilitate the full, rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained passage of humanitarian relief. In that vein, as recommended by the IPC report, unhindered cross-border and cross-line access for large-scale deliveries, particularly through all-season roads, is crucial. A multisectoral response, including the provision of agricultural inputs so as to ensure proper planting, as well as health, water, sanitation and hygiene, is also important. We call on all parties to the conflict to further cooperate and coordinate with United Nations and other humanitarian agencies in order to ensure that assistance reaches destinations across the Sudan. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Japan’s support to the United Nations-led and other international and regional diplomatic efforts to achieve a sustainable end to the conflict and alleviate people’s distress. Japan unwaveringly supports the immediate realization of peace in the Sudan, which the Sudanese people, who are suffering from this prolonged anguish, deserve.

I welcome the convening of this meeting. I thank Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Mr. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management of the World Food Programme for their briefings. I also acknowledge the presence of the representative of the Sudan in the Chamber. We have just confirmed that since the latest Council meeting on this topic (see S/PV.9659), the food insecurity situation in the Sudan has continued to deteriorate and has hit rock bottom. Famine conditions exist in parts of North Darfur, including in Zamzam camp, and 13 additional areas of the country are at risk of famine in the coming months. As always, the situation affects women and children disproportionately. We must be clear — this human-made and conflict- induced tragic situation is the result of the escalation of hostilities over the past 15 months, which has hampered humanitarian access, particularly to the worst affected areas. The conflict has also adversely impacted all dimensions of food security, resulting in the collapse of local production, restrictions on the provision of basic services and the destruction of essential infrastructure. In view of the critical situation in the Sudan, Ecuador reiterates its urgent appeal to the parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law. It is imperative to allow unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the country, including through cross-border crossings, as established in resolutions 2730 (2024) and 2736 (2024). It is also urgent to secure funding for humanitarian aid and to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers. But we must go beyond merely addressing hunger. Justice must also be done. Those who have perpetrated crimes against the civilian population, including through the use of hunger as a method of warfare, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as the six grave violations against children, must be brought to justice. There is no place for impunity. Ecuador supports the recent proximity talks in Geneva, Djibouti’s Mediators Planning Retreat on the Sudan and the trilateral initiative of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. The parties to the conflict must participate in these peaceful mechanisms in good faith and agree to an immediate ceasefire. We must redouble efforts to stop the threat of hunger looming over the people of the Sudan. To that end, a united and immediate response from the Council is urgently needed.

I would like to thank Ms. Wosornu of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Mr. Omollo of the World Food Programme for their informative and sobering briefings today. The Security Council has consistently warned of the risk of famine throughout the Sudan and has repeatedly urged all parties to take immediate action to prevent this catastrophe. Unfortunately, as confirmed last week by the report issued by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and reiterated in today’s briefing, famine has now tragically become an undeniable reality in parts of the Sudan, and we can no longer ignore this ongoing disaster. To address this urgent situation, we wish to emphasize the following critical points. First, the crucial humanitarian aid route to Darfur should be opened immediately in order to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access. As urged by resolution 2736 (2024), the Sudanese authorities should immediately reopen the Adré border crossing. Since the Tiné crossing is unreliable during the rainy season, the opening of Adré becomes even more urgent. In addition, despite the public commitment of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to improving humanitarian access, following the Geneva proximity talks in July, field reports from humanitarian workers indicate otherwise. The RSF must immediately translate its commitments into action and lift the siege around El Fasher. Secondly, the attacks on humanitarian workers and civilian infrastructure must come to an end. We have witnessed continued attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel, as well as the looting of humanitarian supplies in the Sudan, which constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law. We urge all Sudanese warring parties to comply with resolution 2730 (2024) and their obligations under international humanitarian law. Thirdly, a cessation of hostilities throughout the Sudan, including Darfur, is urgently needed to create an environment conducive to the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance. We are deeply concerned about the recent escalation of conflict, particularly in the south-eastern states. We urge both parties to the conflict in the Sudan to set aside political calculations and participate unconditionally in the ceasefire talks co-hosted by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, which are scheduled for mid-August. Finally, sanctions measures, in particular the arms embargo, should be faithfully implemented to contribute to a cessation of hostilities. As Chair of the 1591 Sanctions Committee, the Republic of Korea reiterates our call to all warring parties and Member States to comply with the arms embargo, and on all regional and international actors to refrain from external interference. The confirmed famine in Zamzam camp is just the tip of the iceberg. Famine is imminent and already occurring in many other areas of the Sudan, as many United Nations agencies have warned. While the Republic of Korea is committed to doing our part, including our $12 million contribution at the Paris conference in April, we urge the Sudanese warring parties to stop this senseless war now to prevent the further suffering of the Sudanese people.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

I would like to thank Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, for her humanitarian briefing and her first-hand knowledge of the situation in the Sudan, more than any other party. We also thank her for her cooperation with the mission and her frequent and ongoing meetings, the last of which was about two weeks ago. I also thank Mr. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management, World Food Programme. Many points were raised. I will reply to them, not with denial or an apologetic approach. In the past few days and months, we have followed closely what has been issued by various entities, international organizations and representatives of regional organizations and specialized networks relating to the humanitarian situation in the Sudan. That includes what was recently published, on 1 August, by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network on the humanitarian situation in the Zamzam camp in El Fasher, namely, that there is a famine in that and other camps in the state of North Darfur. We do not deny that the humanitarian situation is dire and requires continued sustained support by the international community, which has refrained from providing it. However, in its 3 August report, the Humanitarian Aid Commission explained that the Network report is not true and that a joint visit by relevant Government entities and a number of international organizations to Zamzam camp had taken place on the third week of July. The visit confirmed that the humanitarian situation is stable and that organizations are providing assistance in the areas of health, nutrition, primary medical care and reproductive health. Those organizations include Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Solidarités International and Relief International. The Humanitarian Aid Commission stressed that the claims are false and that the shortage of foodstuffs and humanitarian assistance at the camps is due to the siege by the rebellion militia of the Rapid Support Forces and its continued shelling of health facilities and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) around the city of El Fasher, as I indicated yesterday (see S/PV.9697). That militia has been holding a number of humanitarian assistance trucks belonging to the MSF for four weeks now, in the area of Kabkabiya, and preventing them from entering El Fasher to assist the IDPs in the camps. Furthermore, the Humanitarian Aid Commission clarified that any talk of famine in those camps is not in line with the conditions needed for the declaration of famine and that the rebellion Rapid Support Forces are starving citizens by repeatedly and systematically impeding humanitarian assistance from reaching those in need of it. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has been closely following reports and statements promoted by different entities to declare famine in the country. The Ministry has confirmed that the overall agricultural production of the Sudan last year, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, along with food security experts, stands at 3.2 million tons out of the 3.9 million tons of overall maize consumption, which is the main staple for the people of the Sudan. The report did not refer to any looming famine. It also indicated that no surveys were conducted in the states of Darfur, West Kordofan and Gezira due to the rebel control over them. Since the beginning of its rebellion, the Rapid Support militia has targeted agricultural production in the country. It has attacked Gezira and disrupted half of its agriculture production, looted grain warehouses and project vehicles, imposed taxes on farms and confiscated wheat production. The militia has also attacked different areas in Sennar, Sinja and Dinder villages and blocked the Sennar-Rabak road to destroy food security in White Nile state. By way of reminder, in accordance with international standards adopted to declare famine in any country, the following conditions need to be in place. First, there must be joint technical surveys to determine the nutrition and food status in accordance with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, which is from the bottom-up. That begins at the village level and moves on to the administrative units, localities, the state level and, finally, the national level. Second, surveys must confirm that 20 per cent of the population of the state concerned must have reached IPC phase 5, which is the worst stage and requires non-availability of food, lack of access to food and the inability to use food according to specific technical criteria. Third, the percentage of acutely malnourished children must have reached 30 per cent, including children under the age of 5. Fourth, the Government must have adopted a joint report involving the organizations participating in the food security survey in a given year, indicating a technical consensus for the decision to declare famine in a particular country. Fifth, a famine review committee must be established in case of suspected famine. That additional step requires establishing a committee of five globally recognized experts in the fields of nutrition, health and food security. The committee meets once famine-like conditions escalate and more than 20 per cent of those affected have reached IPC phase 5. Sixth, there must be low rainfall in the country concerned. Seventh, pests must have emerged. The MSF organization has noted that the Rapid Support Forces have been holding its trucks of medical supplies for weeks in the city of Kabkabiya, North Darfur state. The head of the group’s emergency response unit in the Sudan, Stephane Doyon, has said that they do not have surgical equipment, as some delegations mentioned. The militia’s use of starvation as a weapon has been compounded by the looting of more than 4,000 litres of fuel from the United Nations trucks and convoys. The United Nations has not mentioned that at all. The fact that those violations are not condemned emboldens the militia to commit more atrocities. That also contributes to an erroneous narrative as to the source of the real suffering in the Sudan. In February 2024, the Government of the Sudan announced the opening of humanitarian routes without being requested to do so by any international party or United Nations agency. We ourselves recognized the importance of announcing the opening of humanitarian routes agreed personally with Mr. Martin Griffiths. They include agreed-upon domestic and non-domestic routes. In total, we have opened nine crossings to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance by air, sea and land. The Government agreed to use Port Sudan, El Obeid, El Fasher and Kadugli airports as air crossings, as well as Port Sudan on the Red Sea and the city of Jodah, via the White Nile bordering the State of South Sudan, as sea crossings, in addition to Al-Dabba, Tiné and Arkeen as border crossings with Chad and Egypt, respectively. The Government of the Sudan has worked in coordination with the United Nations and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to facilitate humanitarian response efforts in providing emergency assistance, including food, shelter and clean water, as well as combating violence within the camps. I have received a letter from Mr. Griffiths commending the level of cooperation. The Government has also facilitated entry procedures for staff of international humanitarian organizations, approving 1,539 entry visas and 10,944 internal movement permits. The Government of the Sudan approved surveys by the OCHA team in Central and West Darfur states in August 2023. However, the rebellion Rapid Support militia prevented the team from performing its tasks. The Government facilitated the entry of 543 trucks through the Tiné crossing and 60 trucks through the Adré crossing, which was opened in February. The Sudan has concerns about the Adré crossing. First, the Chadian locality of Adré is situated on the western border of the state of West Darfur and it is the main town in the Assoungha department, with the crossing being about 400 metres from the border separating the two countries and about 35 kilometres from the city of El Geneina, capital of the state of West Darfur. The Chadian region of Adré has become a refuge for most displaced Sudanese, following the takeover of the states of Central and West Darfur by the Rapid Support militia in June 2023. Some foreign States and organizations have continued to put forward the Adré crossing as an alternative to the Tiné crossing, which is facing difficulties due to precipitation, according to them, and they launched a major campaign to open the crossing without State notification or approval as set forth in resolution 2736 (2024), which is a violation of our State sovereignty, to allow the entry of equipment, weapons and fuel under the cover of humanitarian aid to reach the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia. The Government of the Sudan has refused to allow the use of the Adré crossing as a transit point due to the deteriorating security conditions and based on the following: a report dated 15 January 2024 by the Panel of Experts (see S/2024/65) of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), which was reviewed at a joint meeting with the Sanctions Committee on the Sudan and indicated that Chad was involved in opening supply lines through the Adré crossing; and a report by the OCHA team in August, which pointed to the deterioration in the security conditions in Central and West Darfur states due to the continuous encroachment by the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia on humanitarian aid. As of yesterday, it had carried out 90 bombardments, targeting hospitals, shelters and the Zamzam camp. On 26 May, 25 military vehicles and eight trucks carrying military equipment moved through the Adré crossing, under the cover of humanitarian aid, into the city of El Genina, West Darfur state, reaching the rebel Rapid Support militia. On 2 June, eight trucks carrying weapons and military equipment reached the Rapid Support militia via the Adré crossing in El Geneina. Five tractors entered on 1 July, carrying military equipment from the city of Adré to El Genina for the Rapid Support militia. One tractor broke down and arrived at the city of El Genina on 3 July. Fuel is smuggled from Chad through the Adré crossing for the Rapid Support militia, at the rate of 200 barrels per day. I spoke to those in charge of the Zamzam camp over the weekend. I also spoke to health authorities and asked them to visit the camp. They provided me with information that I would like to share with members. However, I would like to first mention the alternative Tiné crossing. The Tiné crossing is located on the Sudan-Chad border in the north-west and is located 418 kilometres from the city of El Fasher. The two sides of Tiné are separated by the Kornoy Valley. The crossing has been active as a transit point for the entry of humanitarian aid in the area affected by the Rapid Support militia war. More than 542 trucks entered through the crossing between February and June, pointing to the ease of truck traffic and humanitarian aid and to the fact that the Government is not blocking such aid through the crossing. Tiné is the closest town to Darfur and the city of El Fasher. It has been authorized to serve as a hub for the massing of aid to be distributed to the rest of the governorates of the region. The crossing does not require coordination with the Chadian authorities, which take sides in the conflict. That facilitates unimpeded humanitarian access. The Sudanese joint forces are responsible for the protection of aid. Therefore, it remains the ideal and the easiest crossing point for humanitarian aid to reach the areas affected by the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia attacks and encroachments. Turning to the situation in Zamzam camp, the camp is located in North Darfur state, some 17 kilometres from the city of El Fasher. According to statistics published in June, the number of displaced people at the camp stands as 169,020 displaced persons, including men, women and children. The camp is currently experiencing an increase in the number of displaced persons due to the increase in daily shelling of El Fasher city by the rebel militia. The seizure by the rebel militia of trucks loaded with food and medicine belonging to humanitarian organizations for more than three weeks now has led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the camp, according to a statement issued by MSF organization on 28 July. The Government of the state of North Darfur dispatched a humanitarian team to Zamzam camp on 28 July, headed by the humanitarian aid commissioner, to check the situation. The team included the directors for disaster management, the health and water department and nutrition, as well as a representative from the Ministry for Social Welfare. The team met with the MSF organization and inspected its health centre, as well as an international relief health centre working on nutrition and health care. Here are pictures of children at the Zamzam camp that I received after the visit. There are some who claim that a child dies of hunger every two hours. Here is a picture of the humanitarian commissioner amid women and children in the camp. Members can go to visit the Zamzam camp for themselves. As for the humanitarian team dispatched by the state of North Darfur to check the situation and cooperate with the three organizations working in the camp, those organizations have confirmed to the humanitarian commissioner that there are no deaths or starvation among the displaced persons. They also confirmed that humanitarian work is continuing despite systematic shelling by the Rapid Support militia of the city and the health and services facilities in the camps. There are a number of organizations working in the area of food and health assistance. The team listened to testimonies on media reports and social media posts from displaced leaders about starvation. Several national and foreign organizations are engaged in humanitarian work, coordinating directly with the Ministry of Health. They stressed to me yesterday that nearly 50 per cent of displaced persons in the Zamzam camp are currently not actually there because they moved to neighbouring areas for the harvest season east of Darfur and Khazan Jadid. The situation in Zamzam camp is better than the food situation in El Fasher, as reported by the general administration of the primary health care and maternal and child health and the department and nutrition at the Ministry of Health for the period between January and the end of June. Certain information has been included in their report, and I will provide the information to the Council. The number of displaced persons in the Zamzam camp stands at 196,020, including 28,716 children under the age of 5, 40,734 pregnant and lactating women, 3,480 malnourished children and 7,970 children suffering from some level of malnutrition. In the state, 3.28 per cent are suffering from acute malnutrition and 16.14 per cent from moderate-acute malnutrition, while the overall acute malnutrition rate stands at 19.42 per cent and chronic-acute malnutrition is at 46.95 per cent. The number of persons with acute malnutrition at Zamzam camp who are subject to the outpatient therapeutic programme stands at 3,316, with 234 persons having entered stabilization centres as of April. The number of deaths stands at zero, and the number of beneficiary children stands at 2,604. With regard to the international relief centre at Zamzam camp, the number of those who were admitted to the centre stands at 1,006, while the number of those who were admitted to the stabilization centre stands at 115 children, with one death. A total of 816 children have been beneficiaries. Organizations also stressed that there is no famine or death among the displaced, and members can confirm the accuracy of the statistics provided. As I already said, nearly 50 per cent of the displaced persons at Zamzam camp are currently taking part in the harvest. Information confirmed that the Adré crossing is used for delivering and smuggling military and logistical support to the rebel militia, while the majority of the citizens of the states of Central and West Darfur in eight refugee camps in Chad are the most in need of humanitarian assistance. Using the crossing without the approval of the Government of the Sudan is an infringement upon our State sovereignty — not a scholastic sovereignty, but actual, pragmatic sovereignty. As we cooperate with the Council, OCHA and humanitarian organizations, the Government of the Sudan calls upon the Council to respect General Assembly resolution 46/182, of 1991, which identified the principles to be followed by all activists and humanitarian actors, including the United Nations. The first is the provision of humanitarian assistance, and we see that donors have not fulfilled more than 16 per cent of their pledges, as per OCHA. The second is to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the targeted State as set forth in resolution 2736 (2024), on humanitarian relief. The resolution states that, if there is a need to open the Adré crossing on an emergency basis, that needs the prior approval of the Government of the Sudan, while respecting State sovereignty, upholding the humanitarian principles of neutrality and integrity, respecting the integrity of the targeted State and cooperating with it. Humanitarian relief is provided on the basis of acceptance by the targeted State concerned at its request. In conclusion, the Government of the Sudan has appealed to the international community to provide relief assistance. We have cooperated with the United Nations and, every time we approve its requests, it comes with another one. We have opened border crossings, as I stated dozens of times before the Council, as well as inner roads, airports and routes by sea and land. Certain organizations, with interference by donors, have refused all that and insist on opening the Adré crossing, through which weapons and logistical support are channelled to the militias in Darfur. The alternative is punishment by declaring famine on a political basis. We call upon the Council to provide more relief assistance to those affected and to stand by the Government of the Sudan, which meets its obligations. I would therefore like to end by saying that some delegations mentioned the El Geneina crossing and interference by foreign forces. We have repeatedly called upon the Council to condemn the countries that interfere in the conflict and provide weapons and logistical support to the Rapid Support forces. Otherwise, the war will not end and the humanitarian situation will get worse. Some major countries totally rejected including in resolution 2736 (2024) a condemnation of the Rapid Support Forces. We also asked them to bring pressure to bear on them to lift the siege of towns in Darfur state. They also rejected that. Now they speak of famine. If there is a phase 5 famine, we are ready to cooperate with the international community and will open the crossings for all humanitarian assistance. It is not the Government of the Sudan, which I am honoured to represent here, that is blocking humanitarian aid. I have facilitated the work of OCHA and the international community and have received letters of commendation.