© UNICEF/Donaig Le Du, refugees from Sudan wait to receive aid in a border village in Chad.
As heavy fighting continues inside Sudan, the country's highest-level aid official warned today that the conflict has created "the world's fastest-growing displacement crisis" that could exceed the UN's capacity to help those most in need.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan, said: "The Sudanese people have suffered immeasurably over the past six months, with more than 5.4 million people forced to leave their homes. ”
Nkvita Salami also serves as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan. She told reporters in Geneva that about 30,000 people in Sudan flee the fighting every day, some with nothing but their clothes.
"I met mothers in Sudan who didn't know where to find the next meal for their children," she added. I have also seen families sleeping in makeshift shelters struggling to find food and water and unable to access health care. Their children are out of school, and the breadwinners are unemployed. ”
Conflict "could engulf entire countries"
Noting that half of Sudan's population (24.7 million people) is now in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, Nkvita-Salami warned that conflict, displacement and disease outbreaks are being found "threatening to engulf the entire country."
Last month, the United Nations and its partners transported 3,000 tonnes of life-saving supplies in six states in 66 trucks.
Nkvita Salami insisted: "However, we also need to deliver more supplies safely, repeatedly and quickly. We need to help 18 million people, and we're not going to give up on that goal. ”
Food harvests are threatened
On 15 April this year, serious clashes involving the use of heavy weapons and air strikes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force. Fighting was initially concentrated in and around the capital Khartoum and in the western Darfur region, but Nkvita-Salami feared the conflict could spill over into Sudan's breadbasket, Jezira state.
"This will have serious consequences for food security," she said. ”
She also noted that violence had paralyzed Sudan's health sector and rendered 70 per cent of hospitals inoperable.
At the same time, humanitarians are deeply concerned about the increasing number of cases of sexual and gender-based violence, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and serious violations of human rights and children's rights.
Cholera outbreak 'almost out of control'
The destruction caused by the war is believed to have claimed the lives of thousands of people, including 19 aid workers. The Sudanese people have faced further shocks in recent weeks, with torrential rains and flooding affecting more than 70,000 people in seven states, raising fears of a surge in waterborne diseases.
A cholera outbreak has been declared in the eastern state of Gadarif, and humanitarian workers are investigating whether cholera has spread to Khartoum and Southern Kordofan regions.
Nkvita Salami said: "As the fighting escalates, the outbreak could spiral out of control. ”
She called on the warring parties to renew their commitment to de-escalation, reduce harm to civilians and avoid any disproportionate attacks.
Humanitarians "push the limits"
Nkvita Salami explained that providing assistance in war zones is extremely complex, dangerous and time-consuming, and access to remote communities often involves negotiating with various armed groups.
Despite these challenges, she insists that relief teams are stepping up their efforts to provide assistance to Sudan's most vulnerable communities.
Nkvita Salami said: "We have a very dedicated humanitarian team on the ground. In order to access some hard-to-reach areas, we are trying to push the limits of our capabilities. I believe that if we can not only secure a strong commitment, but that it can now be translated into positive action by all parties to the conflict, then we have hope that the deaths of humanitarian workers will not happen again. ”
