By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – OCHA official Edem Wosornu on Wednesday has called on the Security Council to ensure better protection for civilians in Sudan together with unhindered humanitarian access, as the brutal war between rival militaries approaches a second year.
Edem Wosornu briefed the members of the Security Council said “Now more than ever, two years on, the people of Sudan need your action.”
“Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape,” she added, listing some of the impacts.
The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left more than half the country, 24.6 million people, experiencing acute hunger.
Over 12 million are now displaced, including 3.4 million who have fled across the border. Health services have collapsed, millions of children are out of school and relentless patterns of sexual violence have occurred.
Ms. Wosornu focused on the latest alarming developments in North Darfur state, including the Zamzam displacement camp, and in Khartoum as well as the south of the country.
She said eight months after the Council adopted Resolution 2739 (2024), civilians in North Darfur remain under attack. The resolution demanded the RSF stop besieging the state capital, El Fasher.
She noted the violence in and around Zamzam camp has further intensified. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of civilians are living there, where famine conditions have been confirmed.
Edem Wosornu said satellite imagery confirms the use of heavy weaponry in and around Zamzam in recent weeks, and the destruction of the main market facilities there.
“Terrified civilians, including humanitarian workers, were unable to leave the area when the fighting was most intense. Many were killed, including at least two humanitarian workers,” she added.
She stressed that the deteriorating security situation forced the medical humanitarian organization MSF the main provider of health and nutrition services in Zamzam camp to halt its operations there, while the WFP confirmed suspension of the voucher-based food assistance system.
Edem Wosornu noted that famine conditions were confirmed in Zamzam last August.
WFP has managed to transport just one convoy of humanitarian supplies into the camp despite repeated attempts to deliver more.
UN agency warned that without immediate assistance, thousands could starve in the coming weeks.
OHCHR, has verified reports of summary executions of civilians in areas that have changed hands and the civilians also continue to be directly impacted by ongoing fierce fighting in parts of Khartoum, where the UN human rights office .
“We remain deeply concerned about the very serious risks faced by local responders and community volunteers, in Khartoum and elsewhere,” she said.
Ms. Wosornu noted that in southern Sudan, there are reports of fighting spreading into new areas in North Kordofan and South Kordofan states, increasing risks for civilians and further complicating movements of humanitarian personnel and supplies.
She said that shocking reports of further atrocities in White Nile state have emerged, including a wave of attacks reported to have killed scores of civilians.
Ms. Wosomu recalled that the launch of the 2025 humanitarian response plans for Sudan and the region. Together they call for $6 billion to support nearly 25 million people in Sudan and up to five million others, mainly refugees, in neighboring countries.
She said the international community, particularly Security Council members, must spare no effort to mitigate the crisis.
Ms. Wosornu concluded her remarks by presenting three “key asks”.
“We call on the Security Council and all Member States with influence to take immediate action to ensure all actors comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians and the infrastructure and services they rely on,” she said.
She highlighted the importance of access, as “we need real implementation of the repeated commitments to facilitate and enable unhindered, unfettered humanitarian access to civilians in need.”
And she noted the funding shortfall.
“The scale of Sudan’s needs is unprecedented and requires an equally unprecedented mobilization of international support, including flexible funding,” she concluded.
Comments are closed.