• Guterres: The countries supplying the parties to Sudan's war with weapons must be held accountable — UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters yesterday, Wednesday, that "what is happening in Sudan is completely horrific" and that the conflict "is fuelled by countries from outside", demanding accountability for those who supply the parties to the conflict with weapons used to attack civilians. (Source: Reuters, September 16) • The United Nations warns: the humanitarian system in Sudan "may collapse" — UN agencies warned that emergency relief supplies (shelter, hygiene and household items) will run out by the end of September, and that humanitarian agencies may be forced to significantly scale back their operations in the coming weeks unless new funding becomes available; the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope, said: "We cannot turn our backs on the people of Sudan". (Source: UN News, September 15) • More than 80 dead in the collapse of the "Al-Zira'a" gold mine in West Kordofan — dozens of bodies were recovered after the collapse of a traditional gold mine in the Al-Zira'a area in West Kordofan (which is under Rapid Support Forces control), with estimates ranging between 70 and 82 dead and dozens missing and injured; the Sudan Doctors Network called for search operations to continue and for medical and logistical support to be provided. (Source: Agence France-Presse / Associated Press, September 16) • Drone strikes displace thousands in Blue Nile and Darfur — the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that drone strikes over the weekend displaced thousands of people in Blue Nile, North Darfur and West Darfur states, with civilian casualties, renewing the call to protect civilians and ensure safe humanitarian access. (Source: OCHA / UN News, September 15) • El Obeid besieged and the Rapid Support Forces surround it — humanitarian reports warned that the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan, which has become a refuge for the displaced, has been surrounded by Rapid Support Forces, while displacement camps have exceeded their capacity, and food prices have risen by up to 300% as a result of the escalation. (Source: OCHA / field analyses) • 156 families return to Khartoum within a week — the Khartoum Locality Security Affairs Coordination Committee, headed by Executive Director Abdel Moneim Al-Bashir, revealed growing rates of voluntary return by citizens without any reverse return being recorded, with 156 families returning to their homes in central and eastern Khartoum over the past week. (Source: Sabah News, September 14) • World Food Programme: Sudan funding has "collapsed" — the Programme's Acting Director Carl Skau said funding this year is half last year's level, and that the Programme has been forced to cut food rations, while about 20 million people face hunger in what the Programme describes as the world's largest hunger crisis. (Source: Reuters, September 14) • South Sudan: The inter-party political dialogue is postponed to September 24 — Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro announced the postponement of the inter-party political dialogue on peaceful and democratic elections, which was scheduled for today, September 17, to September 24 in the main hall of the Transitional Legislative Council in Juba. (Source: South Sudan media, September 17) • The "strong El Niño" phenomenon exacerbates hunger in South Sudan — the World Food Programme warned that about 7.8 million people (more than half the population) are struggling to find enough food daily, and that an additional one million people could lose assistance by October without new resources, with the regional impact extending to Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. (Source: UN News / World Food Programme, September 15)
— Editorial Team