Northern Sudan also faces food shortages
Sudan, Politics, 4/22/1998

It is not only the war-torn southern regions of Sudan which are faced with a humanitarian ordeal as a result of the now widely-reported threat of a vast scale famine. Northern regions of the country, according to government sources, are also suffering serious food shortages that are only eclipsed by the conditions in the south.

Ali Shammar, deputy governor of the western state of Darfor, expressed, in a press statement, concerns that a difficult situation may develop in his state. Shammar indicated that Darfor is worried that it will face acute food shortages and called on the national government to pay attention to the worsening food conditions in the state, which was plagued with a widespread famine during the 1980s as a result of drought and desertification, a famine which then prompted the international community to orchestrate a major relief operation to save millions of those hit by the catastrophe.

Similarly, Yousif Amara a member of the National Assembly (parliament) cautioned against anticipated acute food shortages in some parts of the state of Kasala, specially New Halfa province which is experiencing a serious crises due to low harvest yields this season. The Sudanese parliamentarian accused the authorities of aggravating the situation by the high level of taxes imposed on farmers, often paid as payment-in-kind.

The intensifying civil war in southern Sudan is leading to a severe famine situation and has already attracted international attention. UN relief agencies and NGOs are currently working in the stricken areas after the Sudanese government recently agreed to lift the ban it had previously imposed on flights in the south.

Sudan's foreign minister, Moustafa Ismael, yesterday held rebels in South Sudan led by John Garang responsible for starvation and ethnic fighting in regions of southern Sudan, which witnesses a civil war.

In a press conference he held in Khartoum Ismael accused certain neighboring and European countries of supporting the separatist rebels, noting that the Sudanese government cannot under the current conditions ensure enough food supplies to prevent the starvation which threatens the people of Bahr al-Gazelle district and other areas in southern Sudan.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese government drops food from air   (4/15/1998)
  Sudanese vice president discusses coming peace talks in Nairobi   (3/7/1998)
  Khartoum permits limited aids to the South   (2/28/1998)

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