Intensified fighting in the city of El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, has resulted in a crisis of epic proportions, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Lack of access for aid convoys, coupled with ongoing hostilities, make the response to the crisis even more difficult.
This week, the World Food Program (WFP) assured that the current context is the worst for its operations after more than a year of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Our calls for humanitarian access to the worst conflict spots in Sudan have never been more critical,” Michael Dunford, WFP’s East Africa regional director, said on Friday.
The representative insisted on the need for unrestricted access and security guarantees to provide assistance to families struggling to survive amid devastating levels of violence.
Other entities such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warn about the obstacles it faces in supporting displaced populations.
Upon first entering Omdurman, one of the most important cities across the river from the national capital, Khartoum, UNHCR found children without access to schools or places to play.
Minors are traumatized by the sound of fighting while shelters for the displaced are inadequate and many live in overcrowded conditions, including abandoned classrooms, the entity warned.
Across the country, United Nations agencies estimate that nearly 25 million people need assistance, and approximately 17.7 million Sudanese face acute levels of food insecurity.
The executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, warned about the impact of the fighting on children after the death of at least 43 people, including women and children, since the fighting intensified. in North Darfur.
Recent attacks on more than a dozen villages have led to horrific reports of violence, including sexual violence, and more deaths and injuries among children, he lamented.
“All of these deeply worrying developments are occurring at a time when continued brutal violence across Sudan is pushing the country towards conflict-induced famine and further catastrophic loss of life, especially among children,” added the head of Unicef.
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF has intensified in El Fasher since last week after the RSF surrounded the city to expand its control until now in the hands of the rival army.
That city, the last controlled by the Sudanese army in Darfur, has been a refuge for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people due to the violence unleashed after more than a year of hostilities.
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