Salami urges conflict parties not to interfere with relief operations
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The United Nations has once again called on the international community to fulfill its commitments to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, stating that the country is now suffering from a series of consecutive crises, including deteriorating food security, the spread of diseases, severe human rights violations, child rights violations, heavy rains, floods, accelerated displacement, lack of funding, and obstacles facing humanitarian workers, causing indescribable suffering.
The international community was urged to show more solidarity, or else we will witness Sudan falling off the cliff. The organization pointed out that the organizations providing vital assistance have only received one-third of the 2.6 billion humanitarian appeal so far. The international organization is also determined not to abandon its goal of reaching 18 million people.
The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta Salami, said in a press conference in Geneva on Thursday that more than 30,000 people flee on average daily, many with nothing but the clothes they are wearing, making Sudans displacement crisis the fastest growing in the world.
She also called on the conflicting parties in Sudan not to interfere with the UNs relief operations, by putting an end to the forced inspection of humanitarian trucks and the mandatory military presence during loading operations in Port Sudan and Al Jazeera, and reducing bureaucratic obstacles - including delays in approvals for entry visas for staff - as promised by the Sudanese authorities at the donor meeting yesterday. She said that nineteen relief workers have been killed and 29 others injured.
She urged the parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and take immediate steps to protect civilians.
She warned that if the conflict reaches areas like the Al Jazeera state, which she described as Sudans food basket, it could have dire consequences for food security, as residents are living on the edge.
She explained that she had met with displaced mothers in Sudan who dont know where their next meal for their children will come from, families sleeping in temporary shelters, struggling to find food and water, unable to access healthcare, with their children out of school and the family breadwinner unemployed.
She confirmed that the humanitarian response has become a lifeline for millions of people, as half of Sudans population now needs humanitarian aid and protection, with the conflict, displacement, and disease outbreaks threatening to consume the entire country.
She expressed concern about the spread of diseases, as 70,000 citizens were affected by floods in seven states, with 70% of hospitals out of service.
She added that combating the spread of cholera in the war zone is difficult at the best of times. With the escalation of fighting, it may be almost impossible to control.
A high-level conference co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Nations represented by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA, the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, held in Geneva, pledged in June to provide about 1.5 billion to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and neighboring countries hosting refugees fleeing the fighting, according to the United Nations.
Since then, UN agencies have issued successive appeals to cover urgent funding for the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
