UN relief chief pleas for end to fighting ravaging Sudan

UNITED NATIONS: The fighting in Sudan should put the suffering Sudanese people above the pursuit of power or resources and the conflict should end, the UN relief chief said.

"Humanity must prevail," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths in an unusual statement.

The fighting beginning in mid-April, ravaging the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region, has spread to Kordofan state, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hunger, disease and displacement spawned by the intense fighting threaten to consume the whole country, said the UN emergency relief coordinator.

He added that in South Kordofan's capital of Kadugli, food stocks were fully depleted. Clashes and road blockages prevent aid workers from reaching the hungry.

"In West Kordofan's capital, El Fula, humanitarian offices have been ransacked and supplies looted," Griffiths said.

"I am also extremely worried about the safety of civilians in Al Jazira State, as the conflict moves closer to Sudan's breadbasket."

He added hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated.

"Vector-borne diseases are spreading, posing a lethal risk, especially to those already weakened by malnutrition," the UN relief coordinator said.

"Cases of measles, malaria, whooping cough, dengue fever, and acute watery diarrhea are reported nationwide. Most people have no access to medical treatment."

He added the conflict has decimated the healthcare sector, with most hospitals out of service.

Griffiths said that millions of people were forced from their homes but remained in the country while another million fled across borders into struggling host communities. A protracted conflict in Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe.

"A long conflict will almost certainly lead to a lost generation of children as millions miss out on education, endure trauma, and bear the physical and psychological scars of war," he added.

"Reports that some children in Sudan are being used in the fighting are deeply disturbing."

The UN relief chief said civilians need life-saving assistance now; humanitarians need access and funding to deliver it.

"The international community needs to respond with the urgency this crisis deserves," said Griffiths.