UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Evidence of famine conditions has been found in at least five regions of North Darfur and South Kordofan states of war-ravaged Sudan, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

"There is reasonable evidence of famine conditions in at least five areas of Sudan: Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps in North Darfur and two locations in the Western Nuba Mountains," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The mountains are in South Kordofan state.

Dujarric said the famine determination was made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative's Famine Review Committee. UN agencies are partners.

"There are reports of people dying of starvation in some areas like Darfur, Kordofan and Khartoum," he said. "Currently, around 638,000 people are confirmed to be in catastrophic hunger conditions (IPC5)."

IPC level 5 signifies famine.

The spokesman said a record 4.7 million children under the age of 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls are suffering from acute malnutrition. The conditions affect both residents and internally displaced persons.

"People in Zamzam camp, for example, are resorting to extreme measures to survive because food is so scarce," he said. "Families eat peanut shells mixed with oil which is typically used to feed animals. The UN calls on all parties to silence the guns and put the interest of the people first and foremost."

Dujarric said there is an urgent need to expand access and open new corridors, both across borders and across conflict frontlines, to provide assistance and save people from dying of starvation.

The IPC is an initiative to improve food security, nutrition analysis, and decision-making. According to internationally recognized scientific standards, governments, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, and others work to determine the severity and magnitude of a country's acute and chronic food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

"The main goal of the IPC is to provide decision-makers with a rigorous, evidence- and consensus-based analysis of food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations, to inform emergency responses as well as medium- and long-term policy and programming," the IPC website said. Enditem

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