Residents in his capital Sudan they reported air strikes overnight and sporadic armed clashes this morning amid what has been described as an upsurge in looting, with no apparent signs of progress in ceasefire talks being held in Saudi Arabia.

The violence has intensified the wave of people fleeing their homes, with the number of internally displaced people in the country more than doubling in one week to over 700,000 according to the UN migration agency.

“The greatest danger is the spread of robberies and looting and the total absence of police and law,” said 45-year-old Ahmed Saleh, from the town of Bahri, next to Khartoum. According to residents, houses, shops and warehouses are a target.

The outbreak of conflict between the army of Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Mohamed Hamdan Daghlo creates the risk of a protracted war that could lead to the involvement of foreign forces and trigger a new humanitarian crisis throughout the area.

The United Nations estimates that An additional 5 million people will need emergency assistance inside Sudan while 860,000 people are expected to flee to neighboring countries already experiencing crisis at a time when rich nations have cut aid.

The World Health Organization stated today that brings the number of confirmed dead to over 600with 5,000 wounded, although the actual figure is believed to be much higher.

Meanwhile there is no clear sign of progress in the talks taking place in Saudi Arabia since Saturday despite their specific goal of a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access.

Yesterday, Burhan said in a TV interview that he wants peace. “We believe that a peaceful solution is the ideal course to manage the crisis,” he stated, giving no indication of whether he is ready to compromise.

Tayyip Erdogan’s office said the Turkish president spoke with Burhan today and said Ankara was willing to host further talks on a more comprehensive settlement.