Sudanese Liberation Army rebels in South Darfur State: Four rebel factions have united to prepare for talks with the Sudanese government. (Photo Courtesy Derk Segaar/IRIN)

Nicole Widdersheim, Head of Oxfam International in New York said: "While large-scale fighting and insecurity in Darfur has decreased, it has certainly not stopped. There continue to be recent reports of bombings and fighting between rebel groups and the government.

"The scale of the humanitarian crisis is bigger than ever - more people are in need of aid (4.8m) and more people are living in camps (2.8m) than ever before. At the same time, there is now less humanitarian assistance being provided to people in need, following the expulsions of international and Sudanese aid agencies and deteriorating security for aid workers, illustrated by the recent rise in kidnappings.

"Despite the welcome decrease in major fighting, the war will not be over until there is a formal ceasefire and a sustainable peace process. At the moment there has been little progress on that, and the root causes of the conflict remain unresolved. People are still scared – women are scared to leave the camps for fear of being attacked, and communities are too scared to go home while militia and rebels remain armed and at large."