The situation in Sudan’s North Darfur state remains volatile following the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of El Fasher on October 26, UN humanitarians said.

While major clashes have subsided, sporadic fighting and drone activity continue, leaving civilians vulnerable to looting, forced recruitment and gender-based violence, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

OCHA stated, “Nearly 89,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, with many arriving in the locality of Tawila after walking for days under threat of violence.’’

It added that the United Nations, together with local partners and international non-governmental organisations, is providing them with food, water, sanitation, health care and psychosocial support, though needs continue to outpace resources.

The office said that UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher arrived on Tuesday in Port Sudan, in the country’s far northeast, where he met with authorities, humanitarian partners and the diplomatic community.

Fletcher plans to press for stopping the atrocities in the Kordofan and Darfur regions.

He will also work to back the peace efforts, uphold the UN Charter and push for humanitarian teams to get the access and funding needed to save lives across battle lines.

Humanitarian partners reported that more than 12,000 people have sought refuge in the eastern White Nile state since late October, an average of 700 people each day, OCHA said.

Displaced families face severe shortages of food, shelter and water, while host communities are overstretched trying to accommodate the new arrivals, it noted.

OCHA reiterated that civilians must be protected and that aid workers must be granted safe and sustained access to deliver assistance across the front lines.

(Xinhua/NAN)