The United Nations and its partners on Wednesday launched a $1.7 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan to meet the needs of some 6.8 million vulnerable people in 2023.

In its appeal, the UN said Sudan is burdened by a number of challenges, including armed conflicts, natural disasters, disease outbreaks and economic decline.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Khardiata Lo N’Diaye, said one in three Sudanese is in need of life-saving assistance, adding that over three million displaced people are currently in areas of armed conflict, especially in Darfur and the Blue Nile, noting that most of the displaced persons are women and children.

The UN official said the wave of floods that hit large areas of the country this year has increased the number of people who are in need of humanitarian assistance, which is the highest in a decade, given the global rise in commodity prices and the decline in agricultural production this year.

For his part, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid in Sudan, Najm El-Din Musa, said the challenges facing the country are exacerbated by the rising global prices and climate change, in addition to the implementation of peace agreements.

He pointed out that the Sudanese authorities have developed a national plan to protect civilians in the Darfur region.