World Food Program suspends operations in Sudan after 3 employees killed in violence

The UN’s World Food Programme(WFP) yesterday announced that it has temporarily suspended all its operations in Sudan after three of its employees were killed during clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitaries.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said in a statement that she was “appalled and heartbroken by the tragic deaths of three WFP employees on Saturday 15 April in violence in Kabkabiya, North Darfur, while carrying out their life saving duties on the front lines of the global hunger crisis.”

“While we review the evolving security situation, we are forced to temporarily halt all operations in Sudan. WFP is committed to assisting the Sudanese people facing dire food insecurity, but we cannot do our lifesaving work if the safety and security of our teams and partners is not guaranteed,” she added.

McCain’s statement stressed the need for all parties to reach an agreement that guarantees the safety of humanitarian workers and “enables the continued delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan.”

READ: Sudan minister loses 2 family members after missile strikes his home in Khartoum