2023-04-18 18:34:13
The ten United Nations agencies and their 4,000 employees present in Sudan have been forced to halt most of their programs in the country due to fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (FAR) paramilitaries. ), started on Saturday, April 15.
The UN information services in Geneva further confirmed that its workers -800 of whom are international- they cannot enter or leave the country because of the conflict.
In addition, the organization reported that the crossfire has damaged a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service plane that was parked at the Khartoum airport, the epicenter of the fighting.
“This could severely affect our ability to access the most remote areas of Sudan where the needs are greatest”confirmed the spokespersons for the United Nations, who considered it “crucial” to be able to resume their work in the country as soon as possible to help the population that needs it most at this time.
According to the UN, a third of Sudanese – some 16 million people – were in need of humanitarian aid earlier this year, of whom almost 3.7 million were internally displaced.
To date, the UN and more than 80 NGOs have been present in the North African country as part of more than 250 programs with various humanitarian purposes.
This Tuesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an end to hostilities in Sudan and urged the actors involved in the conflict to sit down and negotiate.
#United #Nations #suspends #programs #Sudan #due #clashes