UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, has said that South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan are on the brink of catastrophe as violence continues to escalate at an alarming rate.
In a statement on Thursday, Nkweta-Salami said the latest outbreak of hostilities in Kadugli, South Kordofan, had reportedly claimed at least eighty civilian lives and left scores more injured.
She condemned the reported use of children and women as human shields, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and the detention of civilians, including children.
According to her, civilians have, for far too long, been unable to access lifesaving assistance and basic services due to a severe lack of medical supplies, limited humanitarian access, and the ongoing conflict.
“This is a critical moment, as the consequences of food insecurity are already being felt in parts of South Kordofan, where families are surviving on dangerously limited food supplies and malnutrition rates are rising sharply,” Nkweta-Salami stressed.
She cautioned that if the fighting continues, more people will be left without access to vital aid, human suffering will deepen, and more lives will be lost.
NAN reports that the Sudanese army and its military rivals, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been engaged in deadly fighting for control of Africa’s third-largest country since April 2023.
Nkweta-Salami urged all parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and protect the lives of civilians and infrastructure.