The UN Security Council condemns the spread of violence in Sudan

The UN Security Council expressed its "concern" about the spread of violence in Sudan a day after it announced that the war there had caused the displacement of up to 7 million people.

In a joint statement, the Council "strongly" condemned the attacks against civilians and the spread of violence "to areas hosting large numbers of displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers," according to Agence France-Presse.

The statement added, "The members of the Security Council expressed their concern about the widespread violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan," which reflects the deteriorating situation in the country.

In addition to the seven million internally displaced people, the United Nations reported Thursday that another 1.5 million have fled to neighbouring countries.

Since the outbreak of fighting on April 15 between the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the city of Wad Madani, located 180 kilometres south of Khartoum, has turned into a haven for thousands of people displaced from other areas.

But the Security Council said the fighting had also reached there, prompting displaced people to flee again.

A spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, said Thursday, "According to the International Organisation for Migration, up to 300,000 people have fled Wad Medani in the state of Al-Jazira in a new wave of displacement on a large scale," according to Agence France-Presse.

As battles continued to control key locations in the city, shop owners closed their shops and reinforced them for fear of looting.

The Council called on the two warring parties to allow "quick, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance to all parts of Sudan," as reported by the French Agency.

He condemned an attack on December 10 on an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy and called for "increasing humanitarian assistance to Sudan."

The war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces claimed more than 12,190 lives, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).