UN continues to provide humanitarian relief in Sudan despite violence

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 (Xinhua) --

The United Nations and humanitarian partners continue to provide relief for millions of people in Sudan despite the ongoing violence, said a UN spokesman on Monday.

Some 68 humanitarian partners are providing life-saving assistance and protection across all of Sudan's 18 states, including UN organizations, Sudanese and international nongovernmental organizations, as well as the Red Crescent Society, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a daily press briefing.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has delivered more than 2,500 tons of health, nutrition, water and sanitation supplies, including in areas where the fighting continues, which will benefit at least 1.6 million children. More than 600 tons of life-saving nutrition aid have reached 11 states -- enough for UNICEF and partners to treat more than 45,000 children suffering from severe wasting in the coming months, he said.

Since the conflict began in mid-April, the UN Refugee Agency has set up nearly 1,000 tents in White Nile, Kassala, Gedaref and North Darfur states, he said.

"We are also supporting the response in neighboring countries hosting people fleeing the violence in Sudan. Over the weekend, the World Health Organization delivered 10 tons of essential medicines and health supplies to Egypt. That's enough to treat 50,000 new arrivals suffering from non-communicable diseases and severe acute malnutrition," said the spokesman.

The United Nations and humanitarian partners are able to deliver aid where they can almost on a case-by-case basis depending on what is going on in the region, he said.

"We want to see a full and complete cessation of hostilities, so we don't have to sort of negotiate on a case-by-case basis for access. We want to see the parties in Sudan stop the fighting so we can actually help the Sudanese people at the scale that is needed," he said.