The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirms that the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed us that two of our top leaders in Sudan have been designated as persona non grata, and asked to leave the country within 72 hours, without any explanation.
This decision to expel WFP's Country Director and Emergency Coordinator comes at a pivotal time. Humanitarian needs in Sudan have never been greater with more than 24 million people facing acute food insecurity and communities impacted by famine.
WFP and humanitarian partners have 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, jeopardizing operations that support millions of vulnerable Sudanese facing extreme hunger, malnutrition, and even starvation.
WFP and senior UN officials are engaging with 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.
WFP remains unwavering in its commitment to ensure that the people of Sudan can access vital assistance during this period of unprecedented hunger, insecurity and humanitarian needs.
