In Sudan, the army’s second in command has said a plan to end the deadly conflict needs to be negotiated and a caretaker government must be formed, as the fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces rages into its fifth month.

The U.N. this week issued a dire warning as the number of refugees who crossed the Sudanese border topped 1 million. In a joint statement, U.N. agencies said, “Time is running out for farmers to plant the crops that will feed them and their neighbors. Medical supplies are scarce. The situation is spiralling out of control.” Reports of sexual violence have increased by 50% since the start of the fighting, though this is likely a significant undercount of the true toll. This is a spokesperson for the U.N. Refugee Agency.

William Spindler: “Since the start of the conflict in Sudan on the 15th of April, over 4.3 million people have been forced to flee. This includes over 900,000 refugees and asylum seekers who fled to neighboring countries and 195,000 South Sudanese forced to return to South Sudan. Within Sudan, over 3.2 million people have been internally displaced, including more than 187,000 refugees already residing in the country at the start of the crisis.”