Sudan: UN relief chief calls for access to people in need

September 10, 2023 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations relief chief, Martin Griffiths has stressed the need to allow access to people in need in Sudan.

Griffith said he spoke with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo also known as Hemedti over the need to expedite access to the needy.

“With the current response not meeting the colossal needs, we hope to bring together the heads of all of the parties so that we can reach many, many more people,” he tweeted on Sunday.

Hemedti vowed to collaborate with various actors to facilitate humanitarian access.

“I wish to underscore our unwavering commitment to mobilize every requisite resource to expedite the distribution of humanitarian aid to its rightful recipients,” tweeted the RSF leader on Sunday.

He added, “We vow to collaborate closely with pertinent entities to safeguard the aid, ensuring ease of operations for humanitarian personnel”.

Fighting that broke out in Sudan on April 15 between army and paramilitary forces has displaced more than 7 million people, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) said.

At least 20.3 million people across Sudan are acutely food insecure and need food and livelihood assistance between July and September 2023, according to the latest integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on the war-torn nation.

(ST)