Sudan’s Agriculture Minister, Abubakr al-Bushra, denied that there is a famine in the country, challenging U.N. reports that 755,000 people are facing severe hunger.
He also rejected the idea of allowing aid agencies to bypass border restrictions to deliver help.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to a severe hunger crisis.
The army has blocked aid from reaching areas controlled by the RSF, where supplies are often stolen by RSF soldiers.
Speaking in Port Sudan, al-Bushra argued that 755,000 people are a small fraction of Sudan’s 50 million population and cast doubt on the accuracy of the hunger data in RSF-controlled areas.
The U.N.’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that 14 areas in Sudan are at risk of famine, which can be declared if hunger and malnutrition reach critical levels.
Al-Bushra opposed potential U.N. Security Council orders to override army restrictions on aid deliveries, fearing it could open borders controlled by militias.
Aid agencies report that the only authorized crossing into the famine-threatened Darfur region is blocked by rains, while the army-controlled Adre crossing remains off-limits.