“The scale and speed of what is happening is unprecedented in Sudan. We are extremely concerned about the immediate and long-term impact on all people in Sudan and the wider region,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement. statement.
UN once again calls for warring parties protect civilians and civilian infrastructureallow safe travel for civilians fleeing hostilities, and respect humanitarian workers and property.
Close to ‘breaking point’
Humanitarian situation in Sudan “is reaching a breaking point,” Mr. Griffiths warned in a separate statementemphasized the need to stop fighting.
Essential items are becoming scarce, especially in the capital, Khartoum, and families are struggling to access water, food, fuel and other essential supplies.
Furthermore, vulnerable people are unable to leave the worst-affected areas due to the exponential increase in transportation costs, while those injured in violence find it difficult to access health care. emergency health.
Aid reserves are dwindling
“The United Nations and our partners are doing their best to restart humanitarian work in this country,” he said.
“The mass looting of offices and warehouses of humanitarian organizations has exhausted most of our supplies. We are exploring urgent ways to bring in and distribute additional supplies.”
The UN “relief chief” said a shipment of five containers of intravenous fluids and other emergency supplies is currently docked in the city of Port Sudan, located on the Red Sea coast, awaiting authorities. clearance.
On April 27, 2023, Al-Imam Al-Kadhim School in Al-Geneina City, West Darfur State, which was once an Internal Migrant Refuge (IDP), burned down in the midst of the crisis. going on in Sudan.
Appeal to the new ceasefire
The announcement of his deployment came just hours after the United Nations and international partners called on Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as “Hemedti”, agreed to extend the 72-hour ceasefire for another three days, amid reports of ongoing air strikes in Khartoum.
The tripartite mechanism – bringing together the African Union, the East African bloc IGAD and the UN – also called on the adversaries to ensure their forces fully implemented the truce.
“As the people of Sudan urgently need a humanitarian pause, the Tripartite Mechanism calls on all parties to the conflict respect the ceasefireto protect civilians and curb attacks on residential areas, schools and healthcare facilities,” they said in a statement. statement.
“This ceasefire will also pave the way for negotiations between the two sides towards the establishment put an end to the war foreverthey added.
Death and displacement
Sudan is going through a turbulent transition to civilian rule following the April 2019 overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir. A power-sharing government brings together military and civilian leaders. was also ousted in a coup in October 2021.
The tripartite mechanism has facilitated negotiations since May 2022, leading to an agreement towards restoring civil rule, signed in December of that year.
However, hopes were dashed two weeks before fighting broke out between Sudan’s regular army led by General al-Burhan and a paramilitary force under General Dagalo, known as the RSF.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands fled, including in neighboring Chad, where some 20,000 Sudanese have sought refuge. Others are sheltering in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan, often in vulnerable communities.
The fighting has also forced the United Nations to halt all aid operations in a country of nearly 16 million people, about a third of the population, in dire need of help.
Commit to stay
The United Nations has relocated and evacuated staff from Khartoum and other locations over the past week who will continue to work remotely, whether from within Sudan or other countries.
The UN and its partners are establish a core team in Port Sudan, which will be responsible for overseeing aid operations and negotiating humanitarian access with in fact authorities.
Humanitarian organizations currently based in the coastal city, the capital of the Red Sea state, are determined to quickly return to Khartoumas the UN continues to maintain its commitment to Sudan.
Earlier on Sunday, Volker Perthes, head of the United Nations Mission to Support Transition, UNITwas summarized by Wali (Governor) and other officials in the Red Sea State regarding the humanitarian and security situation there.
“He assured them that UN does not leave Sudan and that he will work from Port Sudan until the security situation in Khartoum allows us to return,” UNITAMS said in a statement. a tweet.
