THE war and famine they risk “ruining” the whole Sudanwhere violent clashes between the army and a paramilitary organization have been raging since April 15, warned today the UN.

“The war in Sudan is fueling a humanitarian situation emergency to an epic degree. This spreading conflict – as well as the hunger, disease and population displacement it is causing – now threatens to destroy the entire country,” UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said today.

The UN official pointed out that “fierce clashes, which have ravaged the capital Khartoum and Darfur since mid-April, have spread to Kordofan”.

He also explained that in Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, “food stocks have completely run out, as fighting and road blockades prevent aid workers from reaching the hungry.”

At the same time, Griffiths expressed particular concern for the civilians who live in Al Jazeera State.

Griffiths emphasized that “hundreds of thousands of children are serious malnourished and are in immediate danger if they do not receive treatment.”

The same time infectious diseasessuch as measles, malaria, dengue fever and whooping cough are spreading in Sudan, while the country’s health infrastructure has been destroyed with “most hospitals not functioning”.

Finally, the UN official estimated that a prolonged conflict in Sudan may cause a humanitarian disaster in the entire region.