A grab from a UGC video posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on August 22, 2023 reportedly shows members of the Sudanese army firing at Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in what they say is the al-Shajara military base in Khartoum. (PHOTO / AFP)

GENEVA - The top UN humanitarian official on Friday voiced concern about the spread of violence in Sudan and said a lasting conflict could tip the entire region into "humanitarian catastrophe".

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"This viral conflict and the hunger, disease and displacement left in its wake now threatens to consume the entire country," said Martin Griffiths in a statement sent to journalists on Friday, mentioning specific concerns about the safety of civilians in the country's breadbasket Gezira State.

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"Hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated," he added.