(MENAFN) The United Nations Security Council issued a joint statement on Friday, urging the conflicting parties in Sudan to immediately halt hostilities and establish a permanent ceasefire. The council, comprised of 15 member states, expressed grave concern around the continued military clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan has been grappling with violent conflicts for several weeks, leading to a dire humanitarian situation.
In their announcement, the Security Council strongly condemned all attacks targeting the civilian population, United Nations personnel, humanitarian actors, as well as medical personnel, facilities, and civilian objects. The looting of humanitarian supplies was also denounced. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported ongoing incidents of looting of humanitarian assets and facilities in Sudan, despite the commitments made by the parties involved. The United Nations aid chief, Martin Griffiths, described the targeting of humanitarian assets as "outrageous" and called for an immediate end to such actions.
In line with OCHA, warehouses belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP) and offices of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) were looted in El Obeid, while two UNHCR offices were ransacked in Khartoum. This wave of looting has further hindered the delivery of essential aid to vulnerable populations in Sudan.
The Security Council emphasized the need for all parties involved to ensure rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan. They also reiterated their support for the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and urged its continued engagement in accordance with the principles of national ownership.
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