The UN’s relief chief warned Thursday against the deepening of human suffering in Sudan due to an ongoing war in the country.
“Across Sudan, nearly 25 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2024. But the bleak reality is that intensifying hostilities are putting most of them beyond our reach,” Martin Griffiths said in a statement.
Stressing that escalating violence is also imperiling regional stability, Griffiths urged the international community, particularly those with influence on parties to the conflict in Sudan, to take “decisive and immediate” action to stop the fighting and safeguard humanitarian operations.
At least 12,260 victims have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict, according to UN figures. A humanitarian crisis continues to worsen as nearly 6.8 million people have fled their homes seeking safety in Sudan or neighboring countries.
Several cease-fire agreements brokered by Saudi Arabia and US mediators have failed to end the violence. Sudanese paramilitary leader Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo said Thursday he was committed to a cease-fire to end the devastating war that has wrecked his country, even as fighting continues and there has been no progress on proposed peace talks between Dagalo and Sudan military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
