Civilians in Sudan, including scores of internally displaced people and refugees, are scrambling for safety and suffering the disastrous consequences of the violence there, as many aid operations have been forced to pause, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
The UN has been forced to essentially halt all aid operations across Sudan due to the continuing fighting between rival militaries, but humanitarians who have re-located to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast are determined to return to Khartoum “as quickly as possible”, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said on Thursday.
The UN’s Special Representative for Sudan has called on the rival military factions which have plunged the country into chaos during 11 days of fighting to “fully adhere” to the agreed 72-hour ceasefire amid increasing concern at reports of inter-communal violence and attacks in the West Darfur region.
The on-going power struggle between Sudan’s top generals not only puts the future of the country at risk, but threatens to “detonate across borders”, fuelling widespread suffering that could go on for years, warned the UN chief on Tuesday.
The United Nations will continue to deliver desperately needed relief for the Sudanese people, amid soaring needs, acute shortages of essentials and fast-rising prices, UN humanitarians pledged on Tuesday.
The UN Secretary-General on Monday welcomed the temporary relocation of hundreds of staff members and their families from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, amid the continuing intense fighting between rival military factions which has now entered its second week.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan issued a strong statement on Friday calling on both sides in the military power struggle to “implement humanitarian pauses” allowing civilians and aid workers to access essential supplies.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appealed for warring parties in Sudan to observe a ceasefire for at least three days so that civilians trapped in conflict zones can seek medical treatment, food and other essential supplies. His call to silence the guns during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of Ramadan, followed a virtual meeting on the crisis, convened by the African Union (AU).
UN Secretary-General António Guterres continues efforts towards ensuring an end to the hostilities in Sudan, his Spokesperson said on Wednesday, amid reports of a new ceasefire between warring military factions and refugees fleeing the country across the border into Chad.
Clashes intensified across Sudan on Monday, as top UN officials urged rival military factions to protect civilians and respect the country’s international obligations.
