The UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has intensified efforts to support the de-escalation of conflict and advance a political solution in Sudan.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric made the announcement Thursday during a press briefing, saying Lamamra is currently in East Africa.
He said Lamamra began his tour in Nairobi, where he was scheduled to discuss peace efforts with Sudanese actors, including key political stakeholders from across the spectrum.
From Nairobi, Lamamra will travel to Port Sudan to meet with authorities and a cross-section of additional Sudanese stakeholders.
“During his visit, the personal envoy will reiterate his calls on all relevant actors to engage in constructive dialogue leading to a sustainable peace. He will seek further progress with all the parties on issues related to the protection of civilians,” Dujarric said.
Lamamra is continuing efforts to unify and strengthen multilateral mediation on Sudan and is working with the African Union to jointly convene a ministerial-level consultative group meeting in Addis Ababa.
The UN, Dujarric said, continues to call for an end to the conflict in Sudan, which has left 25 million people acutely hungry — nearly half of the country’s population.
For the first time, funding shortfalls are forcing the World Food Program to scale back support in areas with no access, he said.
“As you know, there are many areas where we do not have access,” he added.
The WFP currently has the resources to support only 4 million people per month — one in six of those in need and half of what it had planned.
Millions remain cut off from life-saving aid as the WFP is forced to prioritize those facing the most extreme levels of hunger. Many displaced people and overstretched host communities are no longer receiving assistance, while others are receiving smaller rations and fewer key food items.
In some areas, such as Kassala in eastern Sudan, where aid to internally displaced people has been cut, the UN is already seeing a rise in malnutrition.
The WFP has warned that the crisis in Sudan is heading for another catastrophic peak as the lean season continues and hunger worsens through September.