UN explores ways to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Sudan: Griffiths
April 30, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, announced that he was heading to the region to investigate means of providing humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the ongoing fighting in Sudan.
“At the request of the United Nations Secretary-General, I am on my way to the region to explore how we can bring immediate relief to the millions of people whose lives have turned upside down overnight,” Griffiths said.
The UN and its partners are working to reboot the humanitarian response in Sudan, he added, and are exploring urgent ways to bring in and distribute additional supplies. However, Griffiths stressed that the obvious solution to the crisis is to stop the fighting.
Since clashes began in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan two weeks ago, the humanitarian situation has become dire. Essential goods such as water, food, fuel, and medical supplies are becoming scarce in the hardest-hit urban centres, with families struggling to access them.
Griffiths said that a shipment of emergency supplies, including five containers of intravenous fluids, is docked in Port Sudan, awaiting clearance by the authorities.
Access to urgent healthcare is severely constrained, particularly for those injured in the violence, which increases the risk of preventable deaths. The toll on mental health, especially for children and young people, is unfathomable.
The cost of transportation out of the worst-hit areas has risen exponentially, leaving the most vulnerable unable to move to safer areas.
However, tens of thousands of people have fled Sudan and are seeking safety in neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan.
“Under the leadership of the UN Refugee Agency, we are working with host governments and supporting local partners to help meet their immediate needs,” Griffiths said in a statement released on Sunday.
(ST)