UN warns of 'extremely dire' conditions for displaced people in Sudan

The UN emphasized Thursday that humanitarian conditions for people fleeing violence in Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions continue to deteriorate, with "massive" needs rapidly escalating as displacement surges.

"Our humanitarian colleagues say that more than 100,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, when the area was taken over by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," said spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference, adding that "many people remain unaccounted for."

He emphasized that "those who escaped El Fasher are arriving at displacement sites where conditions are, as you can only imagine, extremely dire and the scale of needs is massive."

Noting that aid groups are providing emergency support, including water, sanitation, food and medical care, he reported that in Tawila, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has "reached more than 3,500 patients with health and nutrition services since late October, and screened nearly 800 children for malnutrition and supplied 150,000 liters of water daily to meet the needs of about 20,000 people."

"Meanwhile, escalating hostilities throughout the Kordofan region continue to force families from their homes," he said, adding that "more than 600 people were displaced from two villages in North and South Kordofan states" on Tuesday.

Citing the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Dujarric reported that across North Kordofan, nearly 40,000 people have been displaced since Oct. 26.

"We continue to call for safe and unimpeded access to deliver life-saving assistance to Kordofan, Darfur and all other parts of Sudan where communities need urgent support," he added.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF have been locked in a devastating war since April 15, 2023. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions.

To date, the RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in western Sudan, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east and center, including the nation's capital of Khartoum.