Sudan: Fighting in Darfur blocks access to refugees

Fighting between the Sudanese army and rebels in Darfur does not allow aid agencies to access the region in order to assess the needs of the displaced people, the United Nations says. A UN report stated that "Due to clashes ... an interagency team was not able to commence assessment of villages in Tawilla rural areas." It added that clashes were in North Darfur, about 70 km (45 miles) west of the capital El-Fasher. The UN estimates that 1.5 million people have been displaced as a result of the fighting in Darfur, which it calls the "world’s worst humanitarian crisis."