Rhino: Agencies – Fighting resumed in the Sudanese capital between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces on Sunday, after an internationally brokered ceasefire failed.
More than 16 months of war in Sudan have killed more than 20,000 people, a shocking figure, amid a devastating conflict that has devastated the northeast African country, a senior United Nations official said Sunday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, gave the toll at a news conference in the Red Sea port city of Port Sudan, which is home to the military-backed government. He said the death toll could be much higher.
At the end of his two-day visit to Sudan, Tedros said: “Sudan is experiencing a perfect storm of crises.” “The scale of the emergency is shocking, as are the inadequate measures being taken to reduce the conflict.”
Sudan plunged into chaos in April last year when escalating tensions between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) exploded into open warfare across the country.
The conflict has turned the capital Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields, destroying civilian infrastructure and an already devastated healthcare system. In the absence of the basics, many hospitals and medical facilities have closed.
The conflict has caused the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 13 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration, including more than 2.3 million who have fled to neighboring countries as refugees.
On Friday, UN-backed human rights investigators urged the creation of an “independent and impartial force” to protect civilians.
Devastating monsoon floods in recent weeks have compounded the misery. Dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure has been washed away in 12 of Sudan’s 18 counties, according to local authorities.
Tedros said: “We are calling on the world to wake up and help Sudan out of its nightmare,” Tedros said, adding that an immediate ceasefire is urgently needed. “The best medicine is peace,” he added.