Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said humanitarian partners reported that insecurity and intercommunal violence in Darfur had forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes, with many in urgent need of support. He did not specify the time frame of the displacement. “We once again call on all parties to protect civilians and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access,” Haq said, according to the UN.