U.N. Says Famine in Sudan Could Claim Thousands of Lives by July
- Share via
LONDON — More than 3 million people in Sudan are threatened by famine, and thousands could die by July, the U.N. World Food Program warned Thursday.
A severe drought has added to the misery caused by an 18-year civil war and previous famines that have left 2 million people dead and more than 4 million displaced, said Massoud Hyder, the WFP’s representative in Sudan.
“We have a critical situation in Sudan--the WFP is running out of food at a time when we are supporting 3 million people there,” Hyder said at a news conference in London. “If you went to Sudan today, you would not see dead bodies. But it will be a lot different by July--devastatingly different.”
He said the WFP is making an international appeal for $135 million. It takes about three months to get aid to people in Sudan, so it is critical that governments respond now, he said.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.