UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Airstrikes, drone attacks and an El Nino-induced drought are compounding the suffering of civilians in the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan, UN humanitarians said Thursday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was deeply alarmed by the aerial strikes killing civilians, which are exacerbating the suffering of communities as soaring prices and the drought deepen hunger and hardship across the country.
OCHA said an airstrike in the Tina locality of North Darfur state on Tuesday reportedly killed five civilians, including two memebers of the volunteer group known as the Emergency Response Rooms, and injured many others. In the West Kordofan state's capital of Al Fula and in the localities of Al Idia and Abu Zabad, airstrikes reportedly caused civilian casualties.
On Monday, drone strikes reportedly hit two locations in South Kordofan's capital of Kadugli, killing at least three civilians and injuring others.
OCHA reiterated that international humanitarian law requires protecting civilians, humanitarian personnel and civilian infrastructure.
"Hostilities are also reportedly driving up the price of fuel in parts of Kordofan and Darfur -- increases that are expected to push commodity prices higher and make essential goods even less affordable for vulnerable families," the office said.
The UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, said severe rainfall deficits are deepening humanitarian needs, especially in Darfur and Kordofan. There is an urgent need for food and nutrition assistance, clean water, sanitation and health services, as well as support for smallholder farmers ahead of the winter planting season.
The United Nations and humanitarian partners said they are preparing to scale up life-saving assistance in the most affected areas of Darfur and Kordofan over the next six months. However, severe funding shortages threaten the ability to respond to growing needs.
Brown warned that without urgent additional funding, humanitarian food and nutrition stocks are expected to run out by early next year, leaving vulnerable families without critical assistance.
OCHA warned that the people of Sudan cannot afford another shock and urgently called on donors to step up their support.
"With less than three months remaining in the year, Sudan's humanitarian response plan is just over 46 percent funded, with 1.32 billion U.S. dollars received against the nearly 2.9 billion required," the office said. ■
