Today's top news: Sudan

Sudan

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, spoke by telephone with frontline responders - including doctors and engineers – in the capital, Khartoum.

In the call, Mr. Griffiths heard first-hand about this community-led humanitarian aid response and their courageous efforts to provide food, shelter and emergency health support amid the ongoing threat of violence and looting.

He commended the resilience and creativity of the Sudanese people, stressing that we need to support them.

We and our partners continue to ramp up our efforts to respond to the crisis.

The World Food Programme (WFP) plans to scale up emergency assistance to some 4.9 million people in the coming months, in areas where the security situation allows. WFP aims to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition for 600,000 children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

WFP warns that food insecurity is expected to surge to record levels in Sudan due to the conflict. More than 19 million people – or two-fifths of the population – would be affected.

To ensure the flow of critical aid and humanitarian personnel, the UN Humanitarian Air Service, managed by WFP, is restarting regular flights between Port Sudan and Addis Ababa.

Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund (UNPA) warns that women and girls displaced by the conflict are increasingly at risk of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse.

UNFPA says access to prevention and response services is severely limited in the capital Khartoum and across the country. That's due to shortages in fuel and supplies, as well as the destruction and looting of health care centres and hospitals.

We are working with our humanitarian partners to set up safe spaces for women and girls in states hosting internally displaced people. UNFPA is also helping expand remote services to support survivors of gender-based violence.