Guernsey makes donation to help with Sudan famine

The immediate donation was given to the UN Refugee Agency to provide food, shelter and lifesaving equipment

The States of Guernsey has donated £60,000 to provide "life-saving assistance" to internally displaced people in Sudan.

The civil war has pushed a camp housing about 500,000 displaced people near the besieged Darfur city of el-Fasher into famine, according to an independent group of food security experts.

Officials said an immediate donation was given to the UK for the UN Refugee Agency to provide food, shelter and lifesaving equipment.

Guernsey's Overseas Aid & Development Commission (OA&DC) said the agency had "unmatched access" to hard to reach communities in Sudan.

'Worst possible news'

Deputy Chris Blin, President of the OA&DC, said women and children continued to be "disproportionately impacted by the hunger crisis".

"It was already hard to comprehend the scale of the food crisis in Sudan," he said.

"The recent declaration of famine in North Dafur is the worst possible news and there is now a high risk this will also occur in other areas.

"Malnutrition rates among children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women are particularly concerning - pregnant women are losing their children due to malnutrition."