UN peacekeepers help free stranded vehicles and rescue stranded people on a road in Sudan. War in Sudan: Tensions Rise in Disputed Abyei Region Peace and Security
The ongoing war in Sudan has not only caused a massive refugee crisis but is also exacerbating instability in the disputed Abyei region, Martha Pobi, assistant secretary-general for Africa in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The oil-rich Abyei area straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both countries.
“The war continues to have a serious impact on the security, economic and humanitarian situation in both countries,” Pobi said.
The Security Council first authorized peacekeeping forces in Sudan in June 2011, weeks before South Sudan broke away and became the world’s newest independent state. Since a brutal power struggle began in Sudan last April, Abyei and neighboring regions have faced disruptions to oil production and a growing number of refugees.
All this has left South Sudan’s resources stretched thin, with thousands of refugees facing acute shortages of clean water, food and health care.