Geneva, 15 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The fighting that erupted in Sudan four months ago has caused more than 4.3 million people to flee the violence, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday in Geneva, as humanitarian leaders escalated their appeal for peace.

UNHCR said some 3.2 million people have been displaced within Sudan, while another 1.1 million have fled to neighbouring states.

According to preliminary figures from the UN Human Rights Office, more than 4,000 people have been killed so far, including hundreds of civilians.

War broke out in Sudan in mid-April following a long-simmering power struggle between de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and vice president Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.

The two generals originally seized power together in a military coup in 2021, however, the two allies fell out over power-sharing issues.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the heads of some 20 UN agencies and other aid organizations criticized the international community's response.

Despite violence, mass displacement and a hunger crisis, governments have provided only 27% of the more than $3 billion needed to support Sudan and refugee-receiving countries, they said.

The statement also issued a plea to the warring parties: "End the fighting. Protect civilians. Grant us safe and unfettered access."

It also warned that "attacking civilians, looting humanitarian supplies, targeting aid workers, civilian assets and infrastructure" are all acts that could amount to war crimes.

Photo: archive