Khartoum — Three years into this devastating war, the people of Sudan continue to face a humanitarian crisis of immense scale and suffering - far too long and far beyond what any civilian population should bear.

Across the country, civilians are paying the highest price. Homes, markets, hospitals and schools have been destroyed. Drone strikes have become a daily reality in populated areas, killing civilians, destroying civilian infrastructure and deepening fear.

Today, nearly 34 million people across Sudan need humanitarian assistance - the highest number anywhere in the world. Families have been uprooted, livelihoods shattered and communities torn apart, often forced to flee repeatedly in search of safety.

There are repeated strikes on healthcare facilities, killing patients and medical workers and cutting off life-saving services. Women and girls face widespread sexual violence, including rape and gang rape. Aid workers, most of them Sudanese, continue to risk, and too often lose, their lives to help others survive.

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Yet one message is constant. Everywhere I have travelled across Sudan, people talk about peace. They want the violence to stop and to return home. Their resilience is extraordinary.

Resilience does not replace responsibility.

The violence must stop. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. Humanitarian organizations must be granted safe, rapid and unimpeded access to all people in need.

Funding for life-saving assistance must increase now, as delays cost lives.

Above all, the people of Sudan need peace.