Fighting between the Sudanese army and rival forces, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting for more than a year, has recently intensified in the city of North Darfur.
Civilians are being attacked from all sides and the news of reported casualties and human rights violations is devastating, said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan. a statement.
‘Very worrying messages’
“Families, including children and the elderly, are being prevented from leaving the city as they seek safety,” she said.
“We are receiving deeply worrying reports that medical facilities, displaced persons camps and critical civilian infrastructure are being targeted by parties to the conflict.”
Ms Nkweta-Salami added that many parts of El Fasher are without electricity or water and a growing part of the population has limited access to food, healthcare and other basic needs and essential services.
An appeal to the parties
“After more than a year of brutal conflict, families have exhausted their scarce resources and their resilience is being eroded by every day of violence,” she said.
The top UN aid official in the country stressed that all parties should avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and take all possible precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“Wars have rules that must be respected by everyone, no matter what,” she said.
Conflict displaces millions
Meanwhile, the war has displaced more than seven million people in Sudan, more than half of them children, according to the UN Humanitarian Affairs Office. OCHA, said Wednesday stating facts of the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This is in addition to the estimated two million people who have fled to neighboring countries since the conflict broke out in April 2023.
The UN and partners continue to step up efforts to respond to rising hunger and food insecurity in Sudan. Some 18 million people across the country are suffering from hunger and five million people are on the brink of famine.
Food in motion
The UN World Food Program (WFP) reported that 1,200 tons of food supplies for approximately 116,000 people are being transported through the Darfur region, approaching final destinations in Central Darfur and 12 locations in South Darfur, including IDP camps in Nyala.
The supplies come from a WFP convoy crossed into Sudan from Chad last week.
Food distributions are also underway for 135,000 people in South Kordofan state, while WFP reiterated the need for aid to reach vulnerable communities safely.
