Head of the World Food Program (WFP) United Nations announced today the suspension of operations in Sudanwhere the crisis is deepening as the fighting enters its third week.

PEP Executive Director Cindy McCain clarified via Twitter that the suspension ends “immediately” as “the crisis in Sudan is putting millions on the brink of starvation.”

Since the crisis in #Sudan pushes millions into hunger, @WFP immediately lifts the temporary suspension imposed following the tragic deaths of our team members.

WFP is rapidly resuming our life-saving assistance programs that so many desperately need right now.

— Cindy McCain (@WFPChief) May 1, 2023

The decision to suspend came after the deaths of three PEP staff members and the injury of two others in Darfur.

“Our programs are rapidly resuming to provide life-saving assistance to the many people who desperately need it right now,” added Mrs McCain, 68, widow of former Senator John McCain.

The UN agency warned yesterday that a war between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan, now in its third week, threatens to plunge the entire East African region into a humanitarian crisis.

UK: new flight to evacuate civilians

It is noted that there will be another flight to evacuate civilians from Sudan, despite the fact that the country has officially completed the operation to evacuate the civilian population.

In particular, an RAF transport aircraft will take off from Port Sudan International Airport today, the Foreign Ministry in London said.

So far, 2,122 people have been rushed out of Sudan on 23 flights departing from the Wadi Saidna military base in Khartoum.

Millions of Sudanese have been trapped amid shelling and gunfire since a relentless power struggle erupted on April 15 between the forces of the military commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the military regime’s deputy commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, or “Hameti,” the leader of the feared Operational Support Force (RSF).

Fighting continued in Khartoum yesterday, despite the fact that the army and paramilitaries announced an extension of the ceasefire, which is generally not respected.

“We continue to do everything in our power to ensure that a long-term ceasefire is declared. [θα ξαναρχίσει] a steady process of transition to civilian government and [θα λάβει] put an end to violence in Sudan,” said British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley.

The Irish government also announced that it has hastily expelled 209 of its citizens from Sudan.

1000 Americans left the country

In addition, almost a thousand Americans have left Sudan with the help of their government, the State Department said yesterday Sunday, specifying that a second convoy had arrived in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

“As part of a multinational effort, the US government, in coordination with allies and partners, [της]facilitated the departure of nearly 1,000 American citizens from Sudan after the outbreak of violence,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Twitter.

He explained that the second convoy, arranged by Washington, had arrived at the coastal city of Port Sudan, from where hurrying civilians on the run could board ships bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The first operation of this kind was carried out on Saturday.

The US diplomat also referred to “diplomatic efforts and ongoing communication with less than 5,000 US citizens who have sought advice” from their government.

Millions of Sudanese were caught between shelling and gunfire after a relentless power struggle broke out on April 15 between the forces of the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the deputy commander of the military regime, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, or “Hameti”, the leader of the much feared Force operational support (RSF).

Fighting continued in Khartoum yesterday, despite the fact that the army and paramilitaries announced an extension of the ceasefire, which is generally not respected.

Faced with an “unprecedented” situation in Sudan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is “immediately” deploying the agency’s senior humanitarian officer, Martin Griffiths, to the region, a spokesman said.

^{Source: APE-MEB, dpa, AFP.}