GENEVA — The World Food Program (WFP) has lifted a temporary suspension of operations in Sudan as fighting between rival military groups pushes millions into hunger, Executive Director Cindy McCain announced on Monday.

WFP had paused its life-saving activities after three staff were killed in North Darfur on April 15, the first day of clashes between the Sudanese army and the rival Rapid Security Forces (RSF).

McCain said food distribution is expected to begin in four states — Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala and White Nile — in the coming days.

As the security situation is still highly precarious, WFP is considering locations where humanitarian access is assured, while also strongly taking security, capacity and access-related considerations into account.

“We will take utmost care to ensure the safety of all our staff and partners as we rush to meet the growing needs of the most vulnerable,” she said.

McCain underscored the need to end the fighting, noting that more than 15 million people were already facing severe food insecurity prior to the conflict.

She warned that numbers are expected to “grow significantly” as the unrest continues. “It is times like this that WFP and our UN partners are needed most,” she said.

In light of the deepening humanitarian crisis in Sudan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday dispatched his most senior aid official to the region.

UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator Martin Griffiths has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to travel to Sudan soon.

Prior to departing for the region, he said the situation in Sudan “is reaching breaking point”, as people struggle to access essentials such as water, food, fuel and medical care.

Meanwhile, senior officials from the UN and partners are holding a virtual briefing on Monday to update the international community on the humanitarian response to the crisis. — UN News