Doha: The United Nations has reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan and emphasized the urgent need to allow humanitarian access to those affected by the ongoing conflict, particularly in the besieged city of El-Fasher in North Darfur.
According to Qatar News Agency, Denise Brown, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, said that aid convoys-fully prepared to depart-are unable to reach El-Fasher due to insecurity. She noted that more than 120 humanitarian workers have lost their lives since the conflict erupted on April 15, 2023.
“Stop the war. Let us through. We want to go to where the people are-we don’t want to wait for them to come to us, because by then they will be in a desperate situation,” Brown stated, adding that protection remains a critical concern across Sudan, where civilians continue to pay an unacceptably high price amid violence, intimidation, killings, and the breakdown of essential public services.
According to the UN, more than 30 million people in Sudan are in need of assistance, with over 10 million internally displaced-the highest number recorded in any country today.
Just two weeks ago, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions in El-Fasher, where fighting has escalated sharply.
Since the conflict broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan has faced a staggering displacement crisis. Over 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes, marking the world’s worst internal displacement crisis.