Since April 15, a major number of civilian lives have been lost in the ongoing conflict between rival generals in Sudan.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned of a potential catastrophic loss of lives in Sudan as the war worsens hunger, calling for a ceasefire.
“In Khartoum, UNICEF is supporting 22 communal kitchens reaching over 13,000 families to prevent a looming famine and devastating loss of children’s lives. Children of Sudan need a ceasefire now”, UNICEF office in the Middle East and North Africa said.
The UN agency stressed that “Sudan’s children need a ceasefire now.”
On Friday, 19 humanitarian organisations warned in a joint statement of an impending famine in Sudan if parties to the conflict continue to prevent the humanitarian agencies from providing aid to those in need.
This came in a joint statement signed by the heads of 19 international humanitarian organisations, including 12 UN agencies.
Since Oct. 15, 2023, the armed conflict has been ongoing in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which resulted in killing thousands of civilians and forcing millions to flee their homes.
Since April 1, the conflict has forced almost 58,000 people to leave Al Fashir city, according to estimates from the International Organisation for Migration. Many of these people, including children and the elderly, have been unable to evacuate to safer areas.
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, earlier said that “the news of reported casualties and human rights abuses are appalling.”
I am profoundly distressed by the humanitarian situation in Al Fasher, where the noose of war is tightening its stranglehold on a civilian population that is under attack from all sides, she added.
Since May 10, El Fasher has witnessed clashes between the army, supported by armed movements that signed a peace agreement, and the RSF, despite warnings from the international community about the fighting in the city, which serves as the humanitarian operations hub for all of Darfur state.
Since mid-April last year, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been waging a war that has left around 15,000 dead and more than 8 million displaced and refugees, according to the UN.
The civil war in Sudan has resulted in a continuous increase in the number of displaced people and refugees, which presents a serious humanitarian crisis that calls for an immediate response and international intervention to address, support, and guarantee the necessary protection and assistance for the displaced and refugees.
The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK had called on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately stop the ongoing conflict and seek a peaceful solution through a comprehensive national dialogue.
AOHR UK also called on the UN Security Council to take immediate action and call for a ceasefire to save innocent lives at risk.
