Sudanese soldiers and enrolled personnel drive a pick-up truck mounted with a machine gun on a street in Gedaref city, Sudan, on Jan 14, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan between the army and paramilitaries. (PHOTO / AFP)

KHARTOUM — The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Sunday said the number of people fleeing the war in Sudan has surpassed 7.4 million.

"More than 7.4 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan since the fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023," OCHA said in its latest update on Sunday.

UN Secretary-General's Envoy to Sudan Ramtane Lamamra on Sunday expressed optimism about the possibility of achieving peace and stability and ending the conflict in Sudan

The number of people displaced in Sudan has increased by about 611,000 over the past month, with many newly displaced from Gezira and other states, it noted.

READ MORE: Sudan army chief's call to arm civilians sparks controversy

"The expansion of fighting between the SAF and the RSF into central and eastern Sudan - the country's crop production regions - has driven a significant increase in humanitarian needs," OCHA said.

"Insecurity, looting, bureaucratic impediments, poor network and phone connectivity, lack of cash, and limited technical and humanitarian staff are affecting the delivery of aid," said the UN agency.

It added that the 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan appeal is only 3.1 percent funded as of Sunday.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023, which have so far led to more than 12,000 people killed, according to earlier OCHA estimates.

UN Secretary-General's Envoy to Sudan Ramtane Lamamra on Sunday expressed optimism about the possibility of achieving peace and stability and ending the conflict in Sudan.

READ MORE: Sudan army chief: No reconciliation with paramilitary RSF

Lamamra made the remarks while meeting with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Port Sudan, the sovereign council said in a statement.