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18 July 2024 (Khartoum) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for more assistance to be provided to people in need in Sudan.
More than a year of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has reportedly left millions of people without access to basic services such as food, water and healthcare.
Nearly a quarter of Sudan’s population has fled their homes and lost their livelihoods, and months of fighting have severely affected civilian infrastructure.
“People in towns like El Fasher have been trapped in the fighting for months and the humanitarian situation is dire,” said Pierre Dob, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Sudan.
He added: “There are areas of the country that cannot even be reached by phone, making it almost impossible to carry out our work. Meanwhile, across the country, Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers are carrying out their work at great personal risk.”
With agricultural production disrupted, many people will feel the impact of high food prices and there are concerns that many families may not have enough food to eat.
There were calls for respect for international humanitarian law, which requires the protection of civilians, infrastructure and agricultural land.
The ICRC said it had worked to explain directly to the parties to the conflict their obligations to ensure that people living in areas under its control can meet their basic needs, including adequate supplies of food and water.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was working with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) to provide emergency assistance and help improve access to basic services. However, access difficulties, including deteriorating security and administrative challenges, continued to hamper humanitarian relief efforts.
“What we have done in the last six months is nothing compared to the tremendous suffering we see every day,” Dorbes said.
He added: “More help is urgently needed and we call on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and do everything in their power to improve humanitarian access.”
Meanwhile, the ICRC, in cooperation with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, has reportedly collected more than 900 tracing requests and more than 445 arrest charges from families looking for their loved ones, and has submitted a number of arrest charges to the various parties.
The agency said it helped more than 20,000 separated families reconnect, mainly by phone, and received nearly 2,500 calls through the ICRC hotline.
In addition, the ICRC said it provided food to more than 56,000 people in Kassala, Blue Nile and Gedaref, and basic household items to nearly 4,800 people in West Darfur.
The aid agency stressed that cash grants were also provided to 71,500 people in Kassala, Blue Nile, West Darfur and North Darfur, and further helped the Sudanese Red Crescent to provide basic household items to about 6,000 people in Sudan’s White Nile state.
(English stone)
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