UN: Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan Worsens Amid Ongoing Conflict

Continued conflict, displacement and funding shortages are deepening humanitarian needs across Sudan, UN aid workers warned on Monday, according to Xinhua.

In North Kordofan State, insecurity around the state capital El Obeid continues to endanger civilians, driving displacement and increasing humanitarian needs, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Despite the challenging security situation around the state capital, the UN and its partners continue to reach communities in El Obeid with assistance. Aid workers have provided around 2 million litres of clean drinking water to approximately 133,000 people amid severe water shortages in the city, OCHA said.

In West Darfur State, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that fighting in the Sirba area has displaced around 18,000 people from more than 20 villages since last week. Most are reported to have fled across the border into Chad.

In Central Darfur State, the recent closure of three health facilities due to funding shortages has left around 75,000 displaced people without adequate access to essential health services, OCHA said.

The office called for additional donor funding for this year’s humanitarian appeal for Sudan, which is only around 41 per cent funded, with 1.2 billion US dollars received of the 2.9 billion dollars required.

OCHA called on all parties to protect civilians and facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said at a regular press briefing that the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, has held meetings with both parties to the civil war — the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — in an effort to work with them to halt the fighting and make progress in negotiations between the two sides.

Haq added that Haavisto’s meetings also involved regional partners of the world body, such as the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.