The United Nations refugee agency’s humanitarian needs have soared among people displaced by fighting in Sudan, with the number of those fleeing expected to surpass projections, while aid access remains extremely uncertain.

It says the explosion of ethnic violence in Darfur, largely by nomadic Arab groups in alliance with the Rapid Support Forces who have been battling national army forces for control of the country since mid-April, has led tens of thousands of civilians to flee into neighbouring Chad.

The agency’s spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said, interviews with people fleeing the violence have revealed horrifying accounts of people being killed on foot by the RSF-supported militia. Shamdasani said immediate action to halt the killings was essential.

She added that people fleeing, must be guaranteed safe passage and humanitarian agencies be allowed access to the area to retrieve the dead.