The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Wednesday confirmed that the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has designated two top WFP officials persona non grata, and gave them 72 hours to leave the country.
The WFP in a statement said the notification by Sudan came with no explanation.
WFP said the decision to expel its Country Director and Emergency Coordinator in Sudan comes at a pivotal time as humanitarian needs have never been greater with more than 24 million people facing acute food insecurity and communities impacted by famine.
WFP said together with other humanitarian partners, it has made hard-won progress in recent months, scaling up assistance to reach more than four million people monthly, and helping to push back extreme hunger conditions in the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crisis.
”At a moment when WFP and its partners need to be expanding their reach, this decision forces WFP to implement unplanned leadership changes, jeopardising operations that support millions of vulnerable Sudanese facing extreme hunger, malnutrition, and even starvation” the statement said.
WFP said senior UN officials are engaging with the Sudanese authorities to protest this action and seek clarification for this decision.
”We call on all parties to prioritize the lives and wellbeing of millions who depend on emergency food and nutrition assistance for their survival” it added.
WN/as/APA