Darfur millions in desperate need of help

Four million Sudanese in conflict-wracked Darfur are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance as newly rearmed Arab militias and rebels escalate attacks and resume looting and burning villages, the UN humanitarian chief said.

Jan Egeland decried the “dramatic deterioration” of the situation in Darfur, where the number of people in need has increased relentlessly from 1 million on his first visit in 2004, and warned yesterday that the region could face a major humanitarian disaster within weeks unless there is a real cease-fire and a renewed effort to reach a lasting peace.