Iran War Worsening Food Situation In Sudan, German Charity Says

 BERLIN, April 15 (Bernama-dpa) -- The Iran war is having "dramatic consequences" for the precarious food situation in Sudan, aid officials said on Tuesday, a day before the third international Sudan conference in Berlin, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

“Our teams in Sudan report massive price rises. Fuel has become up to 80 per cent more expensive, and basic foodstuffs such as wheat are up by around 70 per cent,” said Matthias Mogge, head of the German aid organisation Welthungerhilfe.

Costs for delivering aid have also risen sharply, meaning fewer people in need are receiving deliveries, he said.

Carl Skau, deputy head of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), noted that all Sudan's diesel comes from the Gulf region.

"I'm also worried about the long-term impact here, because all the fertiliser in this country comes from the Persian Gulf," he said.

A further issue is that much of Sudanese agriculture depends on irrigation using water pumped from the Nile, which requires fuel.

"I'm worried about production and the long-term consequences for the provision of food," Skau said. “The war in West Asia affects us all, but in a place like Sudan, it is having particularly dramatic consequences,” he said.

A civil war that broke out in Sudan in 2023 has led to 19 million people facing acute hunger, according to the WFP. Some 11.6 million have been displaced, with both sides in the conflict accused of human rights violations and war crimes.

Mogge noted that Sudan is one of the most dangerous regions in the world for aid workers. He called on Wednesday's conference, which is organised by France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with the European Union and the African Union, to ensure unimpeded access for aid organisations.

-- BERNAMA-dpa