The head of UN humanitarian operations on Monday condemned “extreme violence” against civilian victims of war in Sudan and called for “unhindered” access to humanitarian aid, particularly to contain a cholera epidemic.
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After almost seven months of conflict between the Sudanese army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the Rapid Support Forces (FSR, paramilitary) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, “nearly 25 million people in Sudan are now in need of humanitarian assistance”. remarked Martin Griffiths.
But “access is a serious problem. “Since mid-April we have only been able to provide vital assistance to 4.1 million people, less than a quarter of those who need it,” he added during the first “Humanitarian Forum on Sudan,” attended by representatives of the army and RSF.
The parties to the conflict pledged to improve humanitarian access after talks in Saudi Arabia last week and tasked the United Nations with setting up this forum to facilitate the implementation of those commitments.
“What we need is safe and unhindered access to help all those in need,” emphasized Martin Griffiths, describing the “avalanche of suffering” affecting the population.
“Women and girls face particularly severe burdens and frightening risks to their safety, including rape and kidnapping,” he stressed, noting that “more than 10,000 Sudanese are estimated to have died” since mid-April.
The UN official particularly argued for humanitarian access to certain areas affected by a cholera epidemic in addition to the conflict, particularly Khartoum and South Kordofan, “before it spirals out of control.”
He also believed that this forum was crucial to help the most vulnerable populations in the capital, where a strategic bridge was destroyed on Saturday, as well as in Darfur and Kordofan.
On Monday, AFP witnesses again reported “bombings” on houses injuring civilians, including children, in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, 350 kilometers south of Khartoum. There has also been heavy fighting in Darfur in recent days.
“In addition to access, concrete measures must be taken to implement commitments and commitments to protect civilians,” argued Martin Griffiths.
“I am appalled by horrific reports of extreme violence against civilians, including ethnicity-based attacks and sexual violence. “This has to stop immediately,” he demanded.
Last week, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, estimated that the violence in Sudan bordered on “absolutely evil”.