Opening remarks at the Noon Briefing by Clementine Nkweta-Salami, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan

When I was last in this room, I warned that Sudan was facing a humanitarian tragedy that was growing bleaker by the day.

By all measures, the situation today is infinitely worse.

After more than a year of conflict, the people of Sudan are trapped in an inferno of brutal violence.

Famine is closing in. Diseases are closing in. The fighting is closing in. And there is no end in sight.

I want to start with the situation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where hostilities have been escalating, putting an entire city in peril.

Clashes over the weekend reportedly caused dozens of civilian casualties. Many more were displaced, most seeking safety in the southern part of the city.

If the parties do not pull back from the brink, this will have devastating consequences for the 800,000 civilians in El Fasher.

Right now, the humanitarian assistance they rely on can’t get through: More than a dozen trucks carrying health, nutrition and other critical supplies for more than 120,000 people have been trying to reach the city for weeks. They set out from Port Sudan on the 3rd of April — and still can’t reach El Fasher due to insecurity and delays in getting clearances at checkpoints.

The fighting in El Fasher is another tragic example of this conflict’s grotesque impact on civilians.

Over the past year, thousands of lives have been lost. Communities and families have been torn apart. Homes and civilian infrastructure have been destroyed. Khartoum – the beating heart of Sudan – has been decimated. No one – and nothing – has been spared.

Horrific atrocities are being committed with reckless abandon.

Reports of rape, torture and ethnically motivated violence are streaming in. Indiscriminate attacks are killing civilians, including young children.

Sudan is now today the world’s largest displacement crisis: Almost 9 million people – 9 million people – have been forced to flee to other parts of Sudan or neighbouring countries.

Most of the population lacks access to health care. An entire generation of children is missing out on education.

Famine is on the horizon, threatening millions of lives. And the window to act is closing fast: We have just six weeks before the lean season sets in – when food becomes less available and more expensive. This coincides with two other deadlines: the start of the rainy season, when reaching people in need becomes even more difficult, and the end of the planting season, which could fail if we aren’t able to procure and deliver seeds for farmers.

In short – the people of Sudan are in the path of a perfect storm that is growing more lethal by the day.

This crisis follows years of struggle by the Sudanese people to have a voice of their own.

The revolution was led by the women, and many of them find themselves in dire conditions.

I continue to be inspired by the resilience of women in Sudan that were active in the economy before, in all parts of Sudanese society, and continue to try to make a living despite the odds, the gender-based violence, the exploitation and abuse.

They are part of the solution to bringing the economy back on track. They are key agents to prevent further economic distress, to bring about solutions to keep the economy of Sudan moving.

As the UN continues its humanitarian efforts in Sudan, it is also looking at helping make sure we sustain the economy in the long run. Priority interventions are focused on facilitating livelihood opportunities, finding solutions for people who had to leave their homes, [for] the displaced people and the communities hosting them – making sure everyone is safe from rights violations and conflicts, and preventing additional conflict-related risks. These priorities are being adapted to the context of violence, conflict and fragility in Sudan.

Following the departure of UNITAMS [the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan], the UN flag continued flying high in Sudan outside my office. We are on the ground, we are staying and delivering for the people of Sudan. 

The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy [Ramtane Lamamra] is working around the clock to bring all parties around the table to silence the guns. When that is achieved, the UN is ready to scale up and support recovery and reconstruction. Until then, the humanitarian community needs the following:

Firstly: Unfettered access to reach people in need wherever they are. Right now, aid organizations face unacceptable obstacles at every turn. We need the parties to the conflict to facilitate deliveries via all necessary routes – both across battle lines and across borders. 

Secondly: We need more funding, and fast. The Sudan humanitarian appeal is just 12 per cent funded – 12 per cent. Without more resources, we won’t be able to scale up in time to stave off famine and further deprivation.  At the same time, we need funds and partnerships to strengthen the resilience of conflict-affected communities and the prevention of further conflict; the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, including scaling up support to victims; supporting the opening of schools and out-of-school children; and providing basic health, water and sanitation services delivery.

And finally – and most of all: We need more engagement to end this war. It is time to hold the parties to the conflict, and the world, accountable. For people all over Sudan – in El Fasher, Khartoum, Aj Jazirah, Kordofan, Darfur and elsewhere – what they need most is an end to all this senseless violence.

The international community cannot stand by as this crisis spirals out of control – as the noose of this conflict tightens its stranglehold on the civilian population. It is time for increased advocacy, increased attention, and increased resources.

Time is running out – we need action now. Thank you very much.