People displaced by the conflict in Sudan get in their transporation as they flee Wad Madani, the capital of al-Jazirah state, heading to Gadaref state on Dec 16, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
KHARTOUM - Sudan on Saturday denounced a statement by the US State Department accusing the Sudanese authorities of obstructing people's access to humanitarian aid.
In a statement, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said the US allegations against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Government of Sudan relating to humanitarian aid and civilian activities are "false accusations."
Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. More than 13,000 people have been killed since the fighting broke out
It reiterated the Sudanese government's commitment to the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians, signed on May 11, 2023.
ALSO READ: UN warns of worsening hunger in Sudan, South Sudan, Chad
The ministry added that the US statement avoided issuing an explicit, clear, and exclusive condemnation of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
On Thursday, the United States condemned the obstruction of humanitarian aid access in Sudan, calling on the SAF and the RSF to immediately allow unhindered humanitarian assistance deliveries to all parts of Sudan.
"The United States is deeply concerned by the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) recent decision to prohibit cross-border humanitarian assistance from Chad and reports that the SAF is obstructing assistance from reaching communities in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," said the US State Department.
READ MORE: 700,000 children face life-threatening malnutrition in Sudan
Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. More than 13,000 people have been killed since the fighting broke out, according to recent estimates released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.