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UN official calls for end to humanitarian crisis in Sudan

19 April 2013 02:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Ali Al-Za'tari on Thursday called for an end to the humanitarian crisis in the country, which has uprooted more than one million people and caused over 200,000 to leave the country, a UN spokesman told reporters here, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

At this time, "more than one million people have either been uprooted or severely affected, and more than 200,000 people have fled to neighboring countries," Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said at the daily briefing.

The coordinator has echoed the "African Union's recent invitation calling on the government of Sudan and the Sudan People 's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) to engage in direct talks as soon as possible," Nesirky said.

In this situation, there is a "duty by all concerned to meet the immediate and critical humanitarian needs of civilians affected by the clashes," the spokesperson quoted Al-Za'tari as saying.

Furthermore, other humanitarian concerns have arisen in East Darfur, according to the Joint Special Representative of the joint African Union-UN mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

On Wednesday, Chambas met with Sudan's Interior Minister Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamed and noted the "humanitarian situation in the towns of Labado and Muhajeria in East Darfur," Nesirky said.

Chambas also "urged the government to ensure that aid convoys are able to gain access to these areas," Nesirky added.

Darfur's rebels have fractured into dozens of groups since their rebellion began in early 2003, hindering peace efforts and increasing insecurity in Sudan's west, where the UN estimates a humanitarian crisis has claimed 300,000 lives.

Violence has subsided from its peak in 2003 and 2004, but heavy fighting has been reported since early this year between the rebel alliance and the Sudanese army supported by its militias in Darfur.

On April 6, fighting broke out again between the government forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, which has killed at least four civilians and wounded six others.