John AdoyiAs the conflict in Sudan enters its 6th month without an end in sight, the United Nations warned that the conflict has created “the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis” which has displaced over 5.4 million citizens.
“The past six months have caused untold suffering in Sudan,” Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami told reporters in Geneva.
Ms. Nkweta-Salami estimated that the conflict has caused about 30 thousand persons to flee their homes daily and some of the citizens flee with only the clothes they have on them.
Fighting between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, began last April as a result of power struggle between both men.
The conflict between the two commanders has left the country in bad shape with different sectors in the country under immense threat.
Ms. Nkweta-Salami raised the alarm that half of Sudan’s population which is about 24 million could be consume by “conflict, displacement, and disease outbreaks” if protection and humanitarian aids are not provided.
She further explained that “The conflict has already crippled Sudan’s health sector with 70 per cent of all hospitals no longer functional.
“The conflict could reach areas like Jazirah State, Sudan’s breadbasket. This would have grave consequences for food security.
And as the fighting spreads, we are receiving reports of increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and grave violations of human and children’s rights,” she said.
Ms. Nkweta-Salami also raised the issue of flash floods and cholera outbreak which is ravaging some states in the country.
“I am concerned that this could lead to more outbreaks of water-borne diseases. There is already a cholera outbreak declared in the eastern state of Gedaref.” Noting that “Battling a cholera outbreak in a warzone is difficult at the best of times. With fighting escalating, it may be near-impossible to control.”
Explaining the efforts of United Nation’s aid agencies since the conflict started, Ms. Nkweta-Salami said at least 3 million persons have received support. However, she called on the warring parties in the Sudanese conflict “to respect international law,” noting that “The humanitarian response is a lifeline for millions of people.”
She appealed to the international community to support the humanitarian mission in Sudan saying that the $2.6 billion Dollar appealed for, has not been reached.
She warned that Sudan’s population is “balancing on a knife’s edge.”
Pleading that “much more solidarity” is needed if not the world “may witness Sudan falling off the cliff.”
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