Sudan is facing a humanitarian crisis as war has forced over a million people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.
The conflict, which started four months ago between the army and the RSF militia, has left many people hungry and without access to health care in the country.
The UN warned on Tuesday that the violence in Khartoum and Darfur could lead to a long-lasting civil war and destabilise the region.
“Time is running out for farmers to plant the crops that will feed them and their neighbours.
“Medical supplies are scarce.
“The situation is spiraling out of control,” U.N. agencies said in a joint statement.
As a result of the war, more than a million people have fled Sudan and sought refuge in neighbouring countries that are already facing their own challenges due to conflicts or economic crises.
The IOM’s latest weekly report shows that 1,017,449 people have crossed the border, while another 3,433,025 people have been internally displaced within Sudan.
Those who remain in Khartoum and other cities in the Darfur and Kordofan regions have suffered from widespread looting and frequent disruptions of power, communications and water services.
Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Elizabeth Throssell, said in a briefing in Geneva that “the remains of many of those killed have not been collected, identified or buried,” but the U.N. estimates that more than 4,000 have been killed.
Citing the hardships citizens have endured, the deputy Sovereign Council head, Malik Agar, said “at the end of the day, this war will end at a negotiating table.”
The war started on April 15, 2023, when two rival factions of the military confronted each other in Khartoum, the capital city.
One faction is the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which supports Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military council leader that took power after the removal of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The other faction is the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, the second-in-command of the council and a former associate of al-Bashir.
The two men have been vying for control and influence since the transition to civilian rule started, and their disputes worsened over issues such as economic reforms, security arrangements, and relations with foreign powers.
The violence has spread throughout the country, especially in the western region of Darfur, where ethnic tensions and historical grievances have been rekindled.
The RSF, which consists mainly of Arab militias, has been alleged to have committed atrocities against non-Arab civilians, such as killing, raping, looting, and burning villages.
The SAF, which has more support from non-Arab groups, has attempted to protect them and restore order.
However, both sides have also been accused of violating human rights and international humanitarian law.