The Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, called for special protection for civilians in the region, who are already struggling to survive.

El Fasher, besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is the only area of Darfur not entirely controlled by the Sudanese army’s rivals and is home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, including survivors of previous attacks.

The World Food Program (WFP) said on Monday that growing violence is placing increasing restrictions on humanitarian aid in the area.

Last month, the WFP brought food to over 300,000 people in Sudan, including 40,000 in El Fasher, where displaced people account for about half the population. However, reports of an imminent attack by the RSF are raising alarms about the risk of worst situation for civilians.

The UK Deputy Ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, told the press that the UN Security Council (UNSC) is deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis that could be triggered by the present escalation.

Among other issues, the body warned Monday about the scale of the risk of famine, the displacement of people and the obstacles imposed by both sides of the conflict to humanitarian aid.

“A crisis of epic proportions is brewing,” said U.S. Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield. pll/npg/ebr