Rhino: Agencies – A senior US diplomat said on Tuesday that there are areas in Sudan that are experiencing famine, and that the extent of extreme hunger remains unclear, nearly 14 months after the outbreak of the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

‘I think we know we’re seeing a famine, and the question is the extent of the famine, the size of the areas, and how long it will last,’ Tom Perriello, the US special envoy to Sudan, told Reuters in an interview.

The main barrier to declaring a famine is the lack of data due to the conflict, Perriello said, adding that Sudan is exhibiting a ‘man-made’ famine and that both sides of the war bear responsibility.

‘If you look at last year, it was the RSF that was behind burning all the crops and looting all the warehouses, but it’s definitely the Sudanese Armed Forces that are now controlling the borders, leaving the people to face death,’ he said.

Diplomatic efforts to revive ceasefire talks have so far been unsuccessful, with the military refusing to negotiate.

Perriello said the urgency to find a solution to the conflict in Sudan has increased considerably at the international level.

‘But we have not yet reached the tipping point where there are enough factors to achieve what we need, which is to end the war,’ he said.