Top United Nations officials issued a dire warning to the Security Council on Friday, drawing attention to the plight of approximately 8,00,000 individuals in a Sudanese city as violence escalates, threatening to ignite further conflict across Darfur.

The conflict, which erupted a year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis.

In a briefing to the 15-member Security Council, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo emphasized that clashes between RSF and SAF-aligned factions of the Joint Protection Forces were encroaching upon El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

DiCarlo echoed the earlier warning of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, underscoring the potential for violent intercommunal strife across Darfur if fighting erupts in El Fasher.

According to the UN, nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, are in need of aid, with approximately 8 million displaced from their homes.

UN aid operations director, Edem Wosornu, emphasized the immediate danger faced by the 8,00,000 civilians residing in El Fasher, noting the risk of exacerbating violence in other parts of Darfur, where over 9 million people urgently require humanitarian assistance.

A global authority on food security, backed by the United Nations, recently emphasized the need for immediate action to prevent widespread death, livelihood collapse, and a catastrophic hunger crisis in Sudan.

At a conference in Paris on Monday, donors pledged over $2 billion for war-torn Sudan, underscoring the international community’s recognition of the urgent need for support in addressing the unfolding crisis.

(With agency inputs)