16 July 2014 - Deeply concerned by escalating crises in Sudan and South Sudan, the top UN relief official warned today that the humanitarian situation was deteriorating for hundreds of thousands of people in both countries.

“I told [Security] Council members that this suffering is taking place in an increasingly complex environment,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos told reporters after briefing the Council today.

“I warned the Council if we don’t take urgent action now, we will see a major humanitarian crisis unfolding in South Sudan with respect to food insecurity and the possibility of famine,” she said.

Ms. Amos expressed dismay about intensified bombing and fighting during the planting season -- May, June and July. Urging an end to violence, she said it would have a calamitous impact on families’ ability to feed themselves.

She noted that an estimated 170,000 people had been displaced within Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-North) areas in the first half of this year.

“We have already heard that the famine early warning systems network has forecast that emergency levels of food insecurity are likely to persist among the internally displaced and host communities in SPLM-North controlled areas of South Kordofan between now and September,” Ms. Amos said.

Food security assessments in May and June of this year have already indicated acute food and livelihood crises and an emergency situation in 10 counties in South Sudan. A warning of a possible famine for the months of July and August was also given.

Children have not been vaccinated against polio in the SPLM-North areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, which are both controlled by the SPLM-North.

Even more alarming, the conflict in South Sudan has effectively blocked traditional areas of refuge across the border. It has disrupted cross border movement of goods and services coming into South Kordofan and Blue Nile, causing even greater suffering to the 200,000 Sudanese refugees in the Blue Nile and Unity States and close to 83,000 refugees from South Sudan currently in Sudan.

“We’re seeing significant interconnections between the humanitarian situations between the two countries,” she said. The deepening conflicts in Darfur, continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, refugee outflows, and worrying food insecurity across the region only continue to compound challenges.

“Given the dire situation in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur and the unfolding humanitarian disaster in South Sudan, it is clear that urgent action is needed now and I appealed to the Council to take action to ensure immediate and unhindered action for the UN and our humanitarian partners,” she said.