KEY POINTS
- MSF halts its support at a famine-hit camp in Darfur due to security concerns.
- Violence and instability in Sudan are making it difficult for aid organizations to operate.
- Humanitarian workers call for immediate intervention to prevent further disaster.
Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières has stopped delivering humanitarian assistance at a famine affected camp in Darfur, Sudan due to increasing threats to its employees.
This decision is made at the time when the violence in the region is increasing, and millions of people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
The MSF team has been offering medical and nutritional support, food aid and other basic needs to the camp residents who are refugees from conflict.
But the security situation has worsened to an extent that it is; becoming almost suicidal for the aid workers to be in the field trying to assist the affected communities.
Violence hampers humanitarian assistance in Sudan
The Sudan has been comes out of a long civil war that is constantly further complicated with various factions in different regions including the Darfur district engage in fighting that has led to the displacement of dozens of persons and severe human suffering.
This means The violence situation is worsening and humanitarian groups including MSF continues to feel the heat.
MSF’s action to withdraw from the camp deeply concerns people with part of the humanitarian crisis of the area. As reported by Reuters, the camp that depends on the assistance of MSF, is inhabited by thousands of people who are already suffering from famine and severe malnutrition. The continuation of aid suspension puts children and the most vulnerable in even dire straits than before.
The violence and instability have greatly hampered the ability of humanitarian workers to access the victims. Some of the aid groups have claimed that their employees, vehicles and offices have been targeted, making the environment very insecure.
MSF’s withdrawal is a wakeup call to the enormous difficulties that relief agencies encounter in conflict areas.
Famine and malnutrition crisis worsens
The suspension of operation of MSF could further exacerbate the already appalling situation in the camp. Most of the residents have been surviving on the help they receive from humanitarian organizations, with food and medical supplies being scarce.
MSF had been offering medical assistance and treatment for malnutrition, which has been prevalent among children in the camp.
Aid workers have been warning about the possibility of famine if no action is taken. The conflict in Sudan has affected the supply chains in a very big way and this has led to the denial of food, water and even basic health care to millions of people.
Despite the efforts made by aid agencies to deliver help, the security situation has worsened and becomes a major challenge.
Patients are told to go elsewhere for treatment as well, and since MSF is one of the largest actors in the situation, the void will be felt and the deterioration of the condition feared as the camp heads towards a full-fledged famine if the international community does not interject soon.
An appeal for immediate action
This forced the international community to make desperate appeal’s for a much harder line to be taken to protect civilians as well as aid facilities in Sudan after the suspension of the aid.
Non-governmental organizations are urging world leaders to act now to solve the problem before it gets out of hand.
It is believed that diplomatic pressure and negotiations will help to open the way for the strengthening of security measures that will enable aid organizations to resume their work.
Given the ever worsening situation in Darfur, it is important that measures be put in place to protect aid workers as well as offer them the necessary assistance that would enable them accomplish their tasks of providing assistance to the needy population.
For the people living in the famine-stricken camp this is the last chance to have a shot at drawing out something more than survival from the thing that is eating their lives and soul.
Humanitarian workers continue to argue that if the assistance is provided in the next few days and the aid is resumed, people can still be saved. But the chance is slipping away and if no action is taken soon the results could be catastrophic.
