At least 1.7 million people in Darfur were experiencing emergency levels of hunger in December, and the number is expected to be higher now.

The WFP's regional spokesperson, Leni Kinzli, urged for immediate access to conflict hotspots in Sudan.

The crisis in Sudan escalated in mid-April 2023, when tensions between the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo erupted into street battles in the capital, Khartoum.

Fighting in Sudan has spread to urban areas and Darfur, with the paramilitary forces, known as the RSF, gaining control of most of Darfur and besieging El Fasher, where half a million civilians have taken refuge.

The situation in El Fasher is "extremely dire," and civilians wanting to flee the violence cannot leave easily.

The violence in El Fasher and North Darfur is worsening humanitarian needs in the region, where crop production is 78% less than the average.

WFP is concerned that hunger will increase as the lean season approaches and people run out of food.

A farmer in El Fasher, Darfur, informed a woman named Kinzli that her family and many others have exhausted their food supplies due to an early onset of the "lean season," typically starting in May. Kinzli received distressing photos of malnourished children and emaciated older adults in a displaced persons camp.

Reports indicate that 20 children have died from malnutrition in this camp.

Desperate people are consuming grass and peanut shells.

Without immediate aid, widespread starvation and death are imminent in Darfur and other conflict-affected regions in Sudan.

Kinzli urged the international community to work together to ensure safe access for humanitarian staff and convoys in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan has led to an unprecedented hunger crisis, with nearly 28 million people facing food insecurity in Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad.

In March, Sudanese authorities revoked the World Food Program's (WFP) permission to deliver aid from Chad to West Darfur and Central Darfur, citing the use of the border crossing for weapon transfers.

Sudanese restrictions and security concerns are hindering the World Food Program (WFP) from transporting aid to over 700,000 people in Darfur, according to WFP's Country Director in Sudan, Michael Kinzli.

The authorities have approved the delivery of aid from Tina, Chad, but WFP can no longer use that route due to security reasons as it goes directly into El Fasher, which is besieged.

On Thursday, gunmen killed two ICRC drivers and injured three ICRC staff members in South Darfur.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths condemned the attack as "unconscionable." The ongoing fighting and bureaucratic hurdles have prevented WFP from delivering aid ahead of the rainy season when many roads become impassable.

The World Food Program (WFP) has 8,000 tons of food supplies ready to be transported in Chad, but cannot do so due to constraints such as lack of access and security.

WFP urgently requests unrestricted access and security guarantees to deliver assistance.

They also need to use the Adre border crossing and move supplies across front lines from Port Sudan in the east to Darfur to reach people in need in that region.