UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Intercommunal violence in Sudan's western region has joined a threatened cholera outbreak and outright warfare challenging the long-troubled Darfur and Kordofan regions, UN humanitarians said Monday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said clashes between rival community groups in Central and South Darfur states claimed casualties and triggered displacement, forcing some families to flee across the border into neighboring Chad.
"The escalating insecurity is also disrupting humanitarian operations," said OCHA in a press release. "In Central Darfur, humanitarian activities serving approximately 21,000 people were suspended following clashes."
In West Kordofan, a suspected cholera outbreak continues to spread, with more than 300 suspected cases and 77 reported deaths recorded as of Sunday.
"Partners are responding but are hamstrung by shortages of critical supplies and resources," OCHA said. "In March, authorities declared an end to a country-wide cholera outbreak involving more than 124,000 cases and more than 3,500 deaths."
The office said the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases increases during the rainy season, which begins this month. Attacks on essential infrastructure make it more difficult to access clean water.
Over the Eid Al Adha holiday last week, OCHA said that dozens of civilians were killed as fighting further escalates across parts of the Kordofan and Darfur regions.
The office said that in North Kordofan, clashes in the Bara area reportedly killed at least a dozen civilians, forced families to flee their homes, and heightened humanitarian needs.
The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 2,200 people were reportedly displaced in recent days.
OCHA said that in West Kordofan, local sources reported that a drone strike in the Kadam area killed at least eight civilians and injured many others. In Central Darfur, at least 10 people, including three children, were reportedly killed in a drone strike on the town of Um Dukhun on Saturday.
The office repeated calls on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate humanitarian access.
It said more funding is urgently needed as the appeal of 2.9 billion U.S. dollars is only 22 percent funded nearly halfway through the year. ■