Humanitarian actors urge end to Sudan conflict, safe aid access

August 15, 2023 (GENEVA) – A group of humanitarian leaders on Tuesday called on parties to the Sudan conflict to end the fighting and protect innocent civilians.

The strongly-worded statement from the main principles of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee came as the country marked four months of intense fighting.

The humanitarian leader said since the beginning of the hostilities on April 15, more than 4.3 million people have been forced to flee Sudan and 3.2 million are internally displaced, including 187,000 refugees seeking shelter in the country.

Another 6 million people in Sudan are a step away from famine, they warned.

“For four gruesome months, the people of Sudan have been engulfed in a war that is destroying their lives and their homeland, and violating their basic human rights. People have witnessed their loved ones gunned down,” it stated.

The leaders, in the August 15 statement, assured the people of Sudan that the international humanitarian community remains committed to supporting them.

Highlighted are cases of sexual assault against women and girls in Sudan, amid concerns that families have seen their possessions looted and their homes burnt.

“People are dying because they cannot access health care services and medicine. And now, because of the war, Sudan’s children are wasting away for lack of food and nutrition,” stressed the statement.

Meanwhile, the group of humanitarians appealed to the parties to the conflict end the fighting, protect civilians and grant them safe and unfettered access. They said attacking civilians, looting humanitarian supplies, targeting aid workers, civilian assets and infrastructure, including health centers and hospitals, and blocking humanitarian assistance, all of which have been reported in Sudan  are prohibited under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

Over 20 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity, aid agencies say.

(ST)