UN Secretary-General Sends Humanitarian Deputy to Sudan

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sent his humanitarian deputy Martin Griffiths to Sudan. This was announced on April 30 by the spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stefan Dujarric.

“In light of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the Secretary-General is urgently dispatching Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency coordinator and humanitarian affairs deputy, to the region,” Dujarric said.

He noted that the scale and speed of the current situation are unprecedented for Sudan. The UN has expressed concern about the long-term consequences for all residents of Sudan and the entire region.

Dujarric said the UN calls on all parties in conflict to protect civilians and infrastructure, ensure safe passage for civilians fleeing the fighting, safeguard humanitarian personnel and property, and facilitate humanitarian operations.

In a related development, Sudan’s Khartoum state has declared an indefinite holiday for security reasons. The holidays will last until a special order from the authorities and will not apply only to emergency management services and vital sectors of the urban economy.

The situation in Sudan escalated in mid-April due to disputes between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sovereign Council (the governing body of the republic), and his deputy Mohamed Daglo. Clashes began on the morning of April 15 near a military base in Meroe city and in the capital Khartoum between the army and special forces.

The latest ceasefire, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the USA, ended at midnight on April 27. The conflicting parties agreed to a humanitarian pause on the night of April 25, but clashes have continued after that.

On April 27, the Sudanese army agreed to extend the ceasefire for an additional 72 hours. The military expressed hope that their opponents would not breach the regime, “as has happened before.”