Nearly 200,000 people displaced in Sudan last week: UN

The conflict in Sudan continues to displace civilians at an alarming rate, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Last week alone, nearly 200,000 people were displaced by the fighting inside Sudan, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing new figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Since the start of the conflict three months ago, more than 2.6 million people have been internally displaced in the country, according to the IOM.

Meanwhile, more than 730,000 people have fled across Sudan's borders to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The humanitarian community in Sudan continues to provide relief to those fleeing the fighting, said the spokesman.

In North Darfur, the UN Children's Fund and partners are supporting water trucking to gathering sites for internally displaced people, as well as health care facilities. They have also constructed more than two dozen latrines, he said.

The World Health Organization, meanwhile, is working closely with Sudan's Health Ministry and other partners in states sheltering internally displaced people to provide essential, reproductive, sexual, maternal and pediatric care, said the spokesman.

On Monday, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners managed to deliver life-saving supplies, including 3,000 reproductive health kits, to six hospitals in Khartoum state. UNFPA is committed to reaching all women and girls in need in Sudan with urgent health and protection services, he said.

The spokesman said humanitarian access in Sudan remains challenging.

The world body faces enormous difficulty to reach people in need, he said. "And our colleagues who are on the ground, our local partners are spending way too much time trying to negotiate their way through checkpoints, front lines, armed men, when we should be able to spend all of our time trying to get aid to those who need it as quickly as possible."

（Xinhua News Agency）