Much more needs to be done to address 'spiraling crisis' in Sudan: UN

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - To address the "spiraling crisis" in Sudan, much more needs to be done, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told Anadolu on Monday.

Laerke said he hopes to hear generous announcements of support from the donors during the High-level Pledging Event to Support the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region in Geneva set for later Monday.

The pledging conference will be co-hosted by Egypt, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the EU.

Noting that the UN is already delivering aid across Sudan, including across conflict frontlines, he said: "In the last three weeks alone, OCHA has coordinated nearly 300 truck deliveries in eight states. More than 1.8 million people have received some form of assistance in the last two months, including food, nutrition, health, water, and protection services."

"But much more needs to be done to address this spiraling crisis," he continued.

Local authorities and partners on the ground have worked to address access issues, and the declaration of commitments and temporary cease-fire have been helpful in enabling the scaling up of humanitarian activities, the spokesman said.

"Reaching people is of course key, but we also need the resources to actually procure the aid that we bring," Laerke urged. "That’s why we have this conference today and we hope to hear generous announcements of support from the donors."

He warned that needs are soaring both inside the country and across the borders.

Going into this conference, less than one-fifth of both of OCHA humanitarian appeals – for the response inside Sudan and the regional refugee response – have been financed, he said and added: "Today, we will ask donors to pledge generously."

"The people in Sudan and the refugees urgently need the world's support," he underscored.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15. Nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in the violence, according to local medics.