In Sudan, more than 40% of the population will be exposed to acute food insecurity. up to 2.5 million people will suffer from starvation in the coming months, according to the estimate of the World Food Program (WFP).

The conflict that erupted in Sudan on April 15 resulted in heavy battles, hindering services, driving nearly 1.4 million people from their homes, threatening to destabilize the region, and killing hundreds. According to Sudan’s health ministry, there have been over 700 causalities due to the conflict in Sudan, although the real figure is expected to be much higher. Statistics also show that more than 350,000 people have crossed Sudan’s borders since the conflict started, with most fleeing into Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.

Looting and destruction in Khartoum have led to challenges in access to power, water, and telecommunications, exacerbated by acute shortages of medicines, medical equipment, and food supplies.

According to one Khartoum State official, the tragic death of dozens of babies since the start of the conflict has been attributed primarily to staff shortages and recurrent power outages caused by the fighting. Estimations by the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) show that up to 2.5 million people in Sudan will suffer hunger in the coming months, exposing more than 40% of the population to acute food insecurity.

Undoubtedly, the need to extend the week-long ceasefire is vital and inevitable for the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people. This is while there was an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan prior to the conflict, with one-third of the population already in need of humanitarian assistance and 50,000 severely malnourished children.