Humanitarian agencies must be given access to help people in Sudan, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday (May 2), amid more fighting in the country despite a supposed truce.
Sudan’s warring military factions agreed to a new and longer seven-day ceasefire from Thursday (April 27), neighbor and mediator South Sudan said, even as more air strikes and shooting in the Khartoum capital region undercut their latest supposed truce.
“So, very good question. Look, we remain gravely concerned about the unfolding humanitarian situation in Sudan, including rapidly deteriorating humanitarian condition. This widespread violence compounds an already dire situation. The SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and also the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) must follow safe access for humanitarian agencies and their workers to support the Sudanese people,” she said.
Previous ceasefires have ranged in theory from 24-72 hours but been constantly violated in the conflict that erupted in mid-April between the army and a paramilitary force.
Fighting now in its third week has engulfed Khartoum – one of Africa’s largest cities – for the first time and killed hundreds of people. It has also created a humanitarian crisis, with around 100,000 forced to flee with little food or water to neighboring countries, the UN says.
