Explosions and gunfire are heard today at Khartoumon the twentieth day of fierce fighting between the armed forces and paramilitaries, who are vying for power in Sudan and risk plunging the entire region into crisis.

Despite the announcement of an “agreement in principle” to extend until May 11 a cease-fire that was never respected, “clashes and explosions” are rocking the northern suburbs of Khartoum, residents told AFP early.

The five million inhabitants of the capital now live at the pace of bombingstrying to avoid stray bullets locked inside houses without running water or electricity, with less and less money and food and all this in stifling heat.

Heavy shelling can also be heard from the neighboring towns of Omdurman and Bahri, as reported by Reuters.

Meanwhile, the United Nations on Wednesday pressed the warring factions to guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian aid after six trucks were looted and airstrikes in the capital undermined a supposed truce.

His emergency coordinator UN Martin Griffiths said he hopes to meet within the next few days with the warring parties in Sudan to secure guarantees from them for the convoys they are transporting humanitarian aid.

From April 15, the war between the armed forces of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitaries of General Mohamed Hamdan Daghlo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has claimed the lives of 550 people and injured 5,000, according to a count believed to be falls far short of reality. Hospitals cannot cope: fewer than one in five are still functioning in Khartoum and almost none in Darfur (west).

The battles have caused him displacement more than 335,000 people and have pushed 115,000 others into exile, according to the UN, which expects refugees to increase eightfold.