Khartoum: Amid the ongoing unrest in Sudan, people are running out of food, fuel and other vital supplies, and the healthcare system is in danger of collapse, UN humanitarians said.
“We desperately need a humanitarian pause so that wounded and sick civilians can reach hospitals,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
“People in the capital Khartoum have been unable to safely leave their homes to buy food and other essentials for days now.”
OCHA reported on a severely hampered relief-response system and called for a halt to attacks against aid workers and looting of humanitarian facilities, reports Xinhua news agency.
It said that humanitarian actors must be able to carry out their work safely, and aid agencies must be able to move staff and replenish critical supplies safely.
“We are worried that Sudan’s health care system could completely collapse,” the UN humanitarians said. “Hospitals need additional staff, supplies, and blood.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) listed 16 hospitals across Sudan, including capital Khartoum, were forced to shut down due to attacks.
A further 16 hospitals, including in Darfur states, could close soon due to staff fatigue and lack of supplies, said the WHO.
The fighting that erupted on the morning of April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Kharotum has so far killed about 270 people and injured more than 2,600 others, with gunfire and explosions still heard across the capital city.
The violence, which is a result of a bloody tussle for power between Sudan’s military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, has also spread to other areas in the country, including in Darfur to the west.
As a result of the unrest, thousands of civilians have fled Khartoum and foreign nations are trying to evacuate their citizens, amid a sixth day of fierce fighting.
“We condemn all attacks on health personnel, facilities and ambulances — which are putting more lives at risk,” said OCHA.
“They are flagrant violations of international law, and they must stop now.”
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