Fighting broke out between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, quickly spreading across a country already experiencing political turmoil, rising ethnic tensions and extreme weather.
Go from words to action
There have been “too many days of famine, of brutal atrocities, of lives uprooted and destroyed,” Fletcher said, while women and girls have been forced to endure “horrifying sexual violence.”
He stressed that the international community must go beyond expressions of concern and provide more support and political pressure to combatants to achieve a ceasefire. This must entail broad humanitarian access.
Fletcher said the United Nations fully supports diplomatic efforts led by the “Quad” (United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) aimed at securing a humanitarian truce, including the demilitarization of key areas to allow vital aid to reach civilians.
“The guns must be silenced and a path to peace must be charted,” said.
UN ready to deliver
Under its comprehensive humanitarian response plan for 2026, UN agencies aim to reach more than 20 million people across Sudan with emergency assistance. To achieve that goal, the Organization needs around $2.9 billion.
In addition to funding, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian staff and civilians is critical to ensuring aid reaches those who need it.
Civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected, Fletcher stressed, urging donors to respond quickly and decisively.
“Let today finally be the sign that the world is coming together in solidarity to achieve practical impact,” said.
The crisis deepens on the ground
Meanwhile, fighting continues on the ground in Sudan.
According to media reports, government forces entered South Kordofan’s capital Kadugli on Tuesday, which was under a months-long siege by the RSF. The army had also recently broken the blockade of Dilling, a major town about 110 kilometers north of Kadugli.
Fighting continues to force thousands of people from their homes to internally displaced persons camps and makeshift settlements, where they face critical shortages of food, healthcare, water, sanitation, housing and education.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 11.7 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict, including seven million internally displaced people and 4.5 million who have fled to neighboring countries.