UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Friday marks 1,000 days since the war in Sudan began, with civilians bearing the brunt of a conflict they did not choose, said UN humanitarians.
Nearly 34 million people, or about two-thirds of the population, now need humanitarian assistance, making Sudan the world's largest humanitarian crisis, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
It is also the largest displacement emergency, with 9.3 million people displaced inside the country and more than 4.3 million refugees in neighboring states, the UN agency said.
More than 21 million people are acutely food insecure nationwide. Famine has been confirmed in El Fasher in North Darfur and Kadugli in South Kordofan, with at least 20 other areas at risk, it said.
Nearly 12 million people, primarily women and girls, are at risk of gender-based violence. Households headed by women are three times more likely to be food insecure, the agency said.
Sudan's health system is close to collapse, with fewer than half of health facilities fully functioning. Cholera has been reported in all 18 states, with more than 72,000 suspected cases recorded last year, it said.
The UN agency calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for international humanitarian law, safe access for aid, protection of civilians and aid workers, and renewed funding, especially for local and women-led partners.
The war in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the government's army and paramilitary forces in the capital, Khartoum. The conflict later spread to other parts of the country, with the Darfur and Kordofan regions among the hardest hit. ■