April 20, 2024 (NEW YORK) –   A year after conflict broke out in Sudan, the humanitarian situation in the country is worsening while the outlook for its people is “bleak”, Edem Wosornu, the Director of Operations and Advocacy at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday.

She was briefing the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

According to the UN official, extremely concerning levels of conflict-related sexual violence continue to be reported, and aid workers, health workers and local volunteers are being killed, injured, harassed and arrested with impunity.

The report presented to the Security Council highlights the spiraling violence in recent weeks which, she said, poses an extreme and immediate danger to the 800,000 civilians who reside in El Fasher and risks triggering further clashes in other parts of Darfur, where more than 9 million people are in dire need of assistance.

“We reiterate our demand that the parties to the conflict respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. Sexual violence and other inhumane treatment is strictly prohibited,” said Wosornu.

“The parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects,” she added, urging the parties to immediately stop the violence around El Fasher and the country.

The official reminded the Council of its warnings about the catastrophic impact an attack on El Fasher would have on the civilian population seven months ago.

Today, she further reiterated, that risk is once again becoming a reality.

Wosornu wondered how fast and far the conflict had spread across the country.

She hinted on the surge in starvation and disease and how more than 8.6 million have been forced to flee their home due to the ongoing conflict in war-hit Sudan.

Acknowledging the just concluded Paris conference on the situation in Sudan, Wosornu said the pledges that were made must be disbursed as soon as possible.

The Security Council also heard that up to 18 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger, a number that is set to surge as the lean season fast approaches.

Wosornu, however, said that access to impediments have made it almost impossible to move humanitarian supplies to parts of Darfur and Khartoum.

“If we are to avert famine, the parties must take urgent steps to facilitate humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, as required under international humanitarian law,” she stressed.

According to the UN official, there have been multiple reports of indiscriminate attacks by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in densely populated areas, particularly in Khartoum, as well as in Kordofan and Darfur as reported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

However, extremely concerning levels of conflict-related sexual violence continue to be reported, mainly in areas controlled by the RSF, Wosornu noted.

(ST)