Chad: WFP worries about “imminent cessation” of food aid

The UN expressed alarm on Tuesday about an "imminent cessation" of its food aid to Chad in the face of the massive influx of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan and a lack of international funds, redirected in particular towards "Ukraine and Gaza" .

"In the last six months, there have been as many refugees fleeing to Chad as in the last 20 years since the start of the crisis in Darfur (eastern Sudan, editor's note) in 2003" , writes the UN World Food Program (WFP) in a press release.

“The WFP is warning today of an imminent cessation of its food and nutritional assistance to 1.4 million people” in Chad , “including new Sudanese refugees, due to financial constraints ,” continues the UN agency.

Chad is home to around 1.4 million internally displaced people or refugees due to conflicts in this country and its neighbors.

Before a new civil war broke out in Sudan in mid-April 2023, Chad was already sheltering, according to the UN, more than 400,000 refugees who fled the war which ravaged Darfur from 2003 to 2020. It now has today nearly 900,000.

“In December, the WFP will be forced to suspend its assistance to displaced people and refugees from Nigeria, the Central African Republic and Cameroon, due to insufficient funds. From January 2024, this suspension will be extended particularly to new refugees from Sudan, who will not receive food ,” the agency worries.

“This forgotten crisis has worsened while the world has its eyes fixed on other emergencies ,” the text continues. “Probably because international donors are more focused on other humanitarian crises such as those in Ukraine and Gaza ,” said Djaounsede Madjiangar, spokesperson for the WFP in West and Central Africa, to AFP.

“To ensure continued support to populations affected by the crisis in Chad over the next six months, WFP urgently needs $185 million ,” concludes WFP.

On Friday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) estimated that thousands of Sudanese refugee children in Chad were suffering from "severe acute malnutrition" . The NGO has taken care of 14,000 since the start of the year, of which nearly 3,000 had to be hospitalized.

During the first week of November alone, more than 8,000 Sudanese entered Chad, according to the UN, which speaks of "large-scale violence" in Darfur , a possible new "genocide" .

Sudan has been torn since mid-April by a civil war between the head of the army and de facto ruler of the country, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane , and his former right-hand man General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo .

South African parliament votes to close Israeli embassy

South African lawmakers voted Tuesday in favor of a motion calling for the closure of Israel's embassy and a severing of diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.

The vote on the motion backed by the ruling African National Congress party came as President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a meeting with other world leaders, accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with its military offensive to seek out Hamas leaders.

The motion tabled by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party received the support of 248 members of Parliament, while 91 lawmakers opposed it.

The vote came after Israel's foreign ministry said it had recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, to Jerusalem "for consultations."

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have seen increasing tensions due to the war in Gaza.

"We will stand with all those who stand for peace and who want a free Palestine. Palestine now. A free Palestine, The Israeli embassy should remain closed until they understand all their evil acts ." insisted Pemmy Majodina, deputy of the majority party in the assembly. 

Mr Ramaphosa has previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

The South African president did it again on Tuesday during a virtual meeting of BRICS countries, attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Last week, South Africa announced that it had referred the matter to the International Criminal Court to investigate what it calls Israel's "genocide" in Gaza.

His office asked the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, South Africa withdrew all its diplomatic staff in Israel.