Deceit in WFP press release (Feb 26, 2024) re: Zamzam IDP
WFP Forced to Pause Food Distributions in Sudan’s Zamzam Camp as Fighting Intensifies
Published February 26, 2025
https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-announces-major-surge-food-aid-sudans-hard-reach-areas
PORT SUDAN, Sudan – Intense fighting in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region has forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to temporarily pause [there is nothing to pause!] the distribution [there has been no food distribution for months—the last WFP delivery of food to Zamzam was a single convoy in November 2024—ER] of life-saving food and nutrition assistance in the famine-hit camp for displaced people.
Over the past two weeks escalating violence left WFP’s partners with no choice but to evacuate staff [who are these staffers and what have they been doing for the past four months?, i.e., since the last WFP food convoy—ER] for safety.
“Without immediate assistance, thousands of desperate families in Zamzam could starve in the coming weeks,” said Laurent Bukera, Regional Director for Eastern Africa and acting Country Director for Sudan. [This has been true since before the MSF report of February 2024 https://www.msf.org/sudan-urgent-response-needed-amid-high-death-rates-and-malnutrition-crisis-north-darfur
“We must resume [there is nothing to resume!] the delivery of life-saving aid in and around Zamzam safely, quickly and at scale. For that the fighting must stop, and humanitarian organizations must be granted security guarantees.”
In February, WFP and its partners only managed to provide 60,000 people with food vouchers [these vouchers are utterly worthless in Zamzam and El Fasher and nothing was distributed in Zamzam—not even unusable vouchers—ER], when heavy shelling forced the pause of aid operations earlier this month. [Again, there have been no WFP operations in Zamzam for months!]
The food vouchers allow families to purchase essential food supplies, such as cereals, pulses, oil and salt, directly from local markets which WFP helps to keep stocked through its local private sector retail network.
[This is utter nonsense. The so-called “local private sector retail network” simply does not exist. The food traders who come to Zamzam—charging extortionate prices—will accept only cash (or transfers of cash through the Central Bank of Sudan using the Bankak app—ER]
The recent violence left Zamzam’s Central Market destroyed by shelling, pushing residents of the camp – estimated to be around 500,000 people – further away from accessing essential food and supplies.
WFP and other partners have been working to deliver food and nutrition assistance to displaced people in and around North Darfur’s Zamzam camp.
[Again, the last WFP convoy of food reached Zamzam in November 2024, over four months ago. It was described by the UN at the times as “Convoy 2: Port Sudan to Zamzam camp, North Darfur – departed on 12 November – carrying 330 metric tonnes for 27,400 people.” This is not enough to feed, even for a few days, the 500,000 to 1 million people forced to live in Zamzam” —ER]
These people will not receive support until WFP is able to safely resume activities and get humanitarian assistance to the area. [Again, they simply have not been getting WFP support—ER]
Famine was confirmed in Zamzam last August. Since then, WFP has managed to transport just one convoy of humanitarian supplies into the camp despite repeated attempts. [Precisely! One WFP convoy in November 2024 of 330 metric tons in November 2024 for Zamzam. So what has WFP done since? What have its “staffers” been doing?—ER]
Poor road conditions during the rainy season, purposeful obstruction by the Rapid Support Forces, and fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the SAF-affiliated joint forces along the route to Zamzam has frustrated WFP’s many attempts.
The closure of the Adre border in the first half of 2024 also prevented WFP from stockpiling food in Zamzam, which would have meant consistent support through the latter part of the year.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to assist millions of people facing famine or at risk across Sudan. We are trying every possible way to get vital aid into the hands of people whose lives hang in the balance,” Bukera said.
To provide assistance when insecurity prevents access, WFP launched an online self-registration link for digital cash transfers in North Darfur. [Food traders have no interest in or confidence in this “on-line self-registration”…and what does WFP think on-line access is like in Zamzam!]
This initiative helps ensure that people receive critically necessary assistance when the agency must suspend its operations until conditions permit the safe passage of humanitarian personnel and convoys. [This is absurd—the equivalent of putting a small band-aid on a gaping wound—ER]
WFP has made breakthroughs in delivering support to hard-to-reach areas across Sudan with areas of Gezira State and Khartoum reached for the first time since the war started.
In 2024, two out of every three people in famine or risk of famine areas received WFP assistance. [This is simply not true for Zamzam—and what evidence does WFP have that “two out of three” residents in the largest IDP camp in Darfur food from WFP in 2024? This is simply mendacity—ER]
However, access remains sporadic, and two million people in 27 locations across Sudan are currently experiencing, or on the brink of, famine. Regular, monthly deliveries to starving communities are the only way to push back the famine in Sudan,