UN humanitarian office raises alarm over fighting in eastern Sudanese state

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN humanitarian affairs office expressed alarm Tuesday over ongoing fighting in the eastern Sudanese city of Wad Medani between the country's army and a paramilitary group.

"National health authorities have also relocated outside Aj Jazirah (Gezira) State and are working remotely to coordinate emergency health response," Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a UN briefing in Geneva.

"This puts further strain on the health system in the middle of a cholera outbreak in Aj Jazirah and neighbouring states," he added.

Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

More than 12,000 people have been killed and over 33,000 injured as a result of the conflict, according to the UN.

About 7 million people in Sudan have been displaced within the country or fled in search of security in neighboring countries.

Laerke noted that 70% of hospitals were out of operation in those of the North African nation's 18 states affected by the conflict, while facilities in non-conflict-affected states have been overwhelmed by the influx of displaced people.

Citing the preliminary information from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), he said that at least 250,000 people have fled the state, known as both Aj Jazirah and Gezira, while many have "no other option than fleeing on foot."

Underlining that Wad Medani was considered a "place of refuge for nearly half a million people who fled violence and bloodshed elsewhere in the country earlier in the war," Laerke said local authorities announced a state of emergency and introduced a nightly curfew in that city, as well as the neighboring states of Gedaref, Sennar, and White Nile.

"All humanitarian field missions within and from Aj Jazirah State have been suspended until further notice," he warned, adding that if the fighting continues, aid distribution would be compromised, affecting 2 million people that make up roughly a third of the state's population.

"We need the fighting to stop so we can restart our programs for people in acute need," the official stressed.

Emphasizing that almost 25 million people require humanitarian assistance in Sudan, he said have only reached 5 million people with some form of assistance in 2023.

Laerke said major challenges in responding to the situation in Sudan include a lack of access due to insecurity and bureaucratic impediments. Additionally, he highlighted that the humanitarian plan for 2023 is facing funding shortages, having received only 39% of the required $2.6 billion.