CAIRO – A United Nations official reported on Wednesday that nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance as the country remains gripped by conflict.

The humanitarian crisis is worsening for civilians, according to Tom Fletcher, head of U.N. humanitarian affairs and relief. He stated that aid organizations are facing significant challenges in delivering essential support to those affected. “Our access is severely restricted due to ongoing conflict,” Fletcher explained during a phone interview from the region of Darfur.

The conflict erupted in 2023 between the Sudanese military and the rival paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Originally, these groups were allies tasked with guiding the nation towards democracy following a popular uprising in 2019.

The violent clashes have resulted in the deaths of at least 40,000 individuals, as reported by the World Health Organization, with 12 million people displaced. However, relief organizations caution that the actual death toll could be significantly higher.

The fighting has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and displaced 12 million others. However, aid groups say the true death toll could be many times higher.

Overcrowded camps

As the war continued to rage on for more than two years, humanitarian resources were significantly depleted across the country, said Amy Pope, director-general of the International Organization for Migration, or IOM.

“People are exhausted and vulnerabilities are extremely high,” Pope told the AP by phone from the capital, Khartoum.

A new influx of displaced people in the Darfur region has further strained already overcrowded camps and depleted limited resources. The Darfur and Kordofan regions have become the epicenter of the fight.

Last month, the RSF seized el-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur that was besieged for more than 18 months, and rampaged through the Saudi Hospital in the city, killing more than 450 people, according to WHO, and went house to house, killing civilians and committing sexual assaults.

Mashad Organization, a rights group, said Sunday that hundreds of girls were subject to sexual violence.

The IOM estimates that around 82,000 people had fled the city and surrounding areas as of Nov. 4, heading to safe spots, including Tawila.

Scale of need ‘incredible’

Doctors without Borders, or MSF, said on Wednesday that its teams have seen “staggering” malnutrition rates among those who fled el-Fasher and arrived in Tawila.

Pope also briefed reporters virtually from Khartoum on the gruesome details of the civil war, saying that most people fleeing the areas impacted describe watching civilians be shot on site and walking over dead bodies.

“The scale of the need is absolutely incredible. And of course, it is coinciding at a time when there have been unprecedented humanitarian cuts to humanitarian assistance around the world,” Pope said.

Potential truce

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohi al-Din Salem said Tuesday that his government doesn’t engage in an official capacity with the U.S.-led mediator group known as the Quad, which put forward a humanitarian truce proposal in September.

“The Quad group was not formed by a decision from the Security Council or an international organization,” said Salem, adding that his country engages on a bilateral basis with countries such as Egypt, whose foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said Wednesday that his country stands firm against any attempts of dividing Sudan.

The U.S.-led plan would start with a three-month ceasefire followed by a nine-month political process, according to Massad Boulos, a U.S. adviser for African affairs.

The RSF said last week that it agreed to the proposed humanitarian truce, and while the army welcomes the proposal, it said it will only agree to a truce if the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and surrenders its weapons.

Fletcher said on Wednesday that his agency is in contact with warring parties to push for aid delivery.

___

Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report from the United Nations.