UN urges safe humanitarian access in Sudan as conflict lasts

UNITED NATIONS - Parties to the conflict in Sudan must guarantee safe humanitarian access as misery deepens for civilians, urged UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths in a statement on Saturday.

Sudan, already one of the world's most difficult places for humanitarian operations, will be worse off as the conflict enters its fourth month and battle lines harden, despite concerted efforts by local organizations and international aid groups, warned the UN coordinator.

Griffiths emphasized that the suffering of the Sudanese people "will end only when the fighting ends." The parties involved in the conflict must adhere to the Declaration of Commitments they signed in Jeddah, which seeks to safeguard civilians and uphold international humanitarian law.

The conflict has displaced more than 3 million people in Sudan, half of them children, both inside and outside the country. Furthermore, the 13.6 million children remaining in Sudan urgently need humanitarian assistance, alarmed Griffiths.

Griffiths cited the recent discovery of a mass grave near El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, as the "latest evidence pointing to the resurgence of ethnic killings in the region." This should be a stark reminder of the historical atrocities witnessed during the Darfur conflict, he emphasized.

Griffiths issued this statement as the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit the three-month mark. XINHUA