UN food agency condemns looting of humanitarian warehouses in Sudan

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN food agency on Friday strongly condemned the looting of one of the agency’s logistics hubs in south-central Sudan.

The attack in El Obeid "puts food assistance for 4.4 million conflict-affected people at risk," World Food Program (WFP) said in a statement.

"This theft of humanitarian food and assets totally undermines these operations at a critical time for the people of Sudan. This must stop," it said.

El Obeid is home to one of the WFP's largest logistics hubs on the African continent, and it is a key lifeline for activities in Sudan and South Sudan.

According to the agency, initial reports suggest that food and nutrition supplies, as well as vehicles, fuel and generators have been looted.

Noting that this was not the first time the WFP suffered such an attack, it said the agency alone has so far recorded losses estimated at more than $60 million since violence broke out on April 15.

It reiterated its calls for all sides of the conflict to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian assistance.

The WFP warned that an estimated 2-2.5 million people in Sudan are expected to slip into hunger in the coming months because of the ongoing violence, which would take acute food insecurity in Sudan to record levels, with more than 19 million people affected, 40% of the population.