“For three months, the people of Sudan have endured untold suffering amid violence that is tearing their country apart,” said Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator opinion.
“As the conflict enters its fourth month, battle lines are hardening, making it increasingly difficult to reach the millions in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” he added.
More than 3 million people have been displaced both within Sudan and beyond its borders as a result of the conflict; The fighting, which broke out in mid-April, reportedly killed more than 1,100 people and injured over 12,000. after to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Health workers and facilities were also present attackedseverely limiting access for those in need, and with the onset of the rainy season there is an increased risk of outbreaks of waterborne and vectorborne diseases, exacerbated by waste management challenges and supply shortages.
Children are among the worst affected: an estimated 13.6 million – about half of the number remaining in Sudan – are in urgent need of assistance.
“The Hardest Place in the World”
Mr Griffiths described Sudan as “one of the world’s most difficult destinations for humanitarian workers” and highlighted the concerted efforts of local organizations and international aid groups in delivering life-saving supplies.
However, this work cannot be carried out if the helpers themselves are endangered.
“But we can’t work under the barrel of a gun. We cannot replenish supplies of food, water and medicine if the brazen looting of these supplies continues. We cannot deliver if our employees are prevented from reaching people in need.”
He stressed that only when the fighting stops will the suffering of the Sudanese people ultimately end and urged the parties to the conflict to abide by the law commitment declaration They signed in Jeddah to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law.
Every day the misery increases
With each passing day that fighting continues, the plight of Sudanese civilians increases
Draw attention to the latest Discovery of mass graves In West Darfur, Mr Griffiths highlighted the fear of a resurgence ethnic killings in the region.
“With every day that fighting continues, the plight of Sudanese civilians increases […] We must redouble all our efforts to ensure that the conflict in Sudan does not turn into a brutal and endless civil war with grave consequences for the region,” the UN official stressed.
“The people of Sudan cannot afford to wait,” he concluded.
