Children and their families stand near a makeshift shelter in an internally displaced persons camp in Zelingei Township, central Darfur, Sudan.
Time is running out to prevent hunger in Sudan's Darfur region as intensifying clashes around the northern capital of El Fasher have hampered efforts to deliver life-saving assistance, UN agencies issued a joint warning on Friday.
Since the outbreak of fighting between rival armies last April, the Sudan has experienced alarming incidents of violence that have plunged the country into a devastating humanitarian and protection crisis.
It is estimated that nearly 25 million people – more than half of the population – are in need of assistance, with around 17.7 million of them facing "severe" food insecurity.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described the crisis as "unprecedented", with limited access to vulnerable communities due to ongoing fighting and restrictions imposed by the authorities, particularly in Darfur, where fighting has intensified. Cooperation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The latest escalation of violence around El Fasher has prevented aid convoys from departing from Chad's Tiné border crossing as authorities in Port Sudan are blocking the transport of aid through Adre, the only viable cross-border corridor for Sudan's western neighbor.
Desperate and dire conditions
Michael Dunford, Regional Director for East Africa at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted the desperation of civilians caught in the fighting.
"Our call for humanitarian access to conflict hotspots in Sudan has never been more urgent. WFP urgently needs unrestricted access and security guarantees in order to provide assistance to families struggling to survive in devastating violence," he said.
"The situation is dire. People began to eat grass and peanut shells. If aid doesn't reach them quickly, we risk seeing widespread starvation and death in Darfur and other conflict-affected areas of Sudan," he warned.
Senior WFP officials stressed the importance of humanitarian personnel being able to use the Adre crossing to move aid from Port Sudan across the front lines to people across Darfur.
© UNICEF/Zehbrauskas
A child collects water from a camp for internally displaced persons in Nyala, Darfur. (Document)
Children were killed in "unjustified violence".
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), highlighted the impact of fighting on children.
At least 43 people have died since the escalation of the conflict in Northern Darfur, including women and children. Recent attacks on more than a dozen villages have led to horrific reports of violence, including sexual violence and more child casualties.
There are concerns that the siege of El Fasher by armed groups and the restrictions on movement on the main road out of the city have prevented families from leaving.
"All of these deeply worrying developments come at a time when ongoing brutal violence across Sudan is pushing the country towards conflict-induced famine and further catastrophic loss of life, especially of children," Ms. Russell stressed. ”
She called on the warring parties to de-escalate the situation, allow safe movement for civilians (including the sick and wounded) who wish to move to safer areas, and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
"Children in the Sudan continue to suffer unjustified violence, while their parents and grandparents continue to bear the scars of previous cycles of violence. We cannot allow this to continue to happen," said UNICEF chief.
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Calls for de-escalation of tensions
Meanwhile, the UN spokesperson said the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtan Lamamra, continues to engage with Sudanese parties to ease tensions.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said Lamamra called on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Sudanese authorities to refrain from fighting in El Fasher.
"[He] stressed that an attack on the city could have devastating consequences for civilians," Mr. Haq said.
He added that since attending the Paris meeting in April, Mr. Lamamra had travelled to Chad, Ethiopia and Eritrea to discuss the way forward with AU and regional leaders.
People are badly traumatized
The UNHCR has highlighted the challenges it faces in helping those in need. For the first time since the start of the war, it reached Omdurman, the main city across the river from the country's capital, Khartoum.
The city hosts more than 12,000 refugees and more than 54,000 internally displaced persons.
"Displaced families in Sudan before the war, including Sudanese and refugees, have told UNHCR that they are struggling to get enough food due to soaring prices, leading to concerns about child malnutrition," said Olga Sarrado Mur, a spokesman for the agency.
Ms. Moore said the children were unable to go to school or play and were traumatized by the sounds of the fighting. Shelter for displaced people is inadequate, and many live in overcrowded conditions, including abandoned classrooms.
"While both hospitals remain open, there is a shortage of medicines, especially for patients with chronic diseases. Pregnant women do not have access to antenatal care. People are also expressing serious concerns about their safety, reporting sexual violence on the rise, and legal support is limited," she said.
"Many people are severely traumatized. ”
The threat of unexploded ordnance
The fighting has also resulted in a large number of unexploded ordnance scattered throughout Sudanese towns. Mohammed Saidik Rashid, head of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in the country, gave an exclusive interview to UN News about the risks faced by civilians.