Nathaniel Raymond
Appearances
Apple News Today
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Zamzam is in a condition called IPC5, or Integrated Phase Classification 5, which is the highest level of food insecurity. And children in particular have been dying from a lack of food. People are eating peanut shells, animal fodder, grasses.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
Yes, in August, famine was declared in what's the largest refugee camp in Sudan, in the western region of Darfur. But now it's been confirmed in three other refugee camps in the same proximity. And overall, it's now five areas in Sudan, affecting about half a million people and counting.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
And over the last week, I've spoken to experts about just what this famine looks like on the ground, just to make sense of it. And one of them is Nathaniel Raymond. He's the executive director at Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab. And he talked about Zamzam Camp, the first region where famine was declared.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
The level of desperation is unprecedented in Sudan. And the number of areas suffering famine is likely to actually double over the next six months.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
Well, both sides of the war have been accused of blocking aid in the areas that they each control. And that's the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. And for example, the RSF control most of Darfur, and that's the region where there was a genocide 20 years ago. And there's been an outbreak of similar ethnic violence against African ethnic groups since the war started.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
There are millions of displaced people in this region, but they're almost completely isolated. I spoke to Azadeh Hassani. She's a director at Relief International, and they're one of the few aid groups still operating in Darfur, particularly in North Darfur, which is currently under a siege by the RSF.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
So there are no official humanitarian corridors that the RSF and the Sudanese army have agreed on. And there's been really small amounts of aid coming in from the border with Chad. But the conflict makes getting that aid in so precarious.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
Well, essentially with denials, the Sudanese army is seen by most people as the de facto government in Sudan, although they've lost control of large parts of the country. But the existence of famine is really a direct challenge to its legitimacy because people will hold them accountable for why this has been allowed to happen.
Up First from NPR
Christmas In Bethlehem, Famine In Sudan, The Year In Space
Famine is declared by this independent body called the Integrated Food Security Phase, or IPC, and they rely on countries to support their networks. And Sudan has now pulled out of that system.