It is a "disastrous humanitarian situation" described by Abdou Dieng, UN interim humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, in a statement. Almost 25 million people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance and protection in the country are currently in need, 57% more than at the beginning of 2023. "Millions of people are confined to their homes, without access to vital services, while civilian infrastructure and markets are damaged and destroyed," the statement said.
Since the clashes began in mid-April, some 1.3 million people have been displaced inside and outside the country. Hundreds lost their lives and more than 5,000 were injured. "On the ground, the recent fighting in West Darfur has been characterized by heavy artillery shelling and indiscriminate shooting in residential areas, as well as the attack on health facilities - continues the statement - In the capital, Geneina, 86 sites intended to provide safety, shelter and services to displaced people have been set on fire".
Meanwhile, the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces accuse each other of violating the truce, negotiated by the United States and Saudi Arabia
. The breach came just minutes after it went into effect on Monday evening, with residents of the capital Khartoum reporting airstrikes and artillery fire.
This is yet another truce violated and decided to allow humanitarian assistance to civilians trapped in the civil war that broke out on April 15 between the army and the rapid support forces (RSF). The army "today launched a series of unjustified attacks", the paramilitaries said last night, adding that they had repelled them and shot down a fighter plane of the armed forces, but reiterating the respect of the humanitarian truce with the request "to the aggressors" to do the same.
The armed forces responded this morning, stating that they had "observed an attack on armored vehicles by RSF militias in a blatant violation of the truce". For the US and Saudi Arabia, the reports "indicate that both sides have violated the agreement", but specifying that "the fighting in Khartoum seems to be less intense". The UN envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Tetteh, expressed concern about the continuation of the fighting despite the truce: "This is unacceptable and must end," she said.