GENEVA: Sudan is descending into death and destruction at an unprecedented speed, UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday as he urged donors to step in and curb the unfolding catastrophe.

The pledging conference comes mid-way through a three-day ceasefire which appeared to have brought calm to the capital Khartoum, after the failure of earlier truces to ensure secure aid corridors.

More than two months into the fighting, the United Nations is worried that the crisis could spill over and destabilise neighbouring African states.

“The scale and speed of Sudan’s descent into death and destruction is unprecedented,” UN Secretary-General Guterres told the conference.

The death toll has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said.

A record 25 million people — more than half Sudan’s population — are in need of aid, according to the UN.

Roughly 2.5 million people have been uprooted across Sudan by the war, which has forced around 550,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, according to UN figures.

Around $3 billion needed

The UN has two appeals for tackling the crisis — the humanitarian response within Sudan, which needs $2.6 billion this year, and the regional refugee response, which needs $470 million.

However, both are less than 17 per cent funded.

“The situation in Darfur and Khartoum is catastrophic,” Guterres said.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2023