US urges immediate 'humanitarian truce' in Sudan as civilian suffering worsens

WASHINGTON

The US on Wednesday urged Sudan’s warring parties to immediately agree to and implement a “humanitarian truce,”

It warned that the civilian toll has reached “catastrophic levels.”

“The United States urges the parties to the conflict in Sudan to immediately agree to and implement the proposed humanitarian truce,” senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos wrote on US social media platform X.

Boulos said millions of civilians lack food, water and medical care. He urged the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to commit to a truce “swiftly and without political or military posturing that will cost more lives.”

“All sides must honor their commitments, cease hostilities, and allow full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access,” he wrote, adding that the truce should serve as a “vital step toward sustained dialogue and lasting peace.”

It came as the UN warned that the situation in Sudan is worsening for civilians, while aid groups indicate that access to affected areas remains severely restricted by the conflict.

The conflict between the army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. It has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.

Last month, the RSF seized North Darfur’s capital, El-Fasher, and was accused of massacres. The group controls all five Darfur states, out of Sudan’s 18 states, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including Khartoum.

Darfur makes up about one-fifth of Sudan’s territory, but most of the country’s 50 million people live in army-held areas.