The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it expects “many more” deaths in Sudan due to disease outbreaks and a lack of essential services amid resumption of hostilities between warring parties, Integrity News reports.

The director general of the UN health agency, Dr Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Wednesday.

Dr Tedros noted that more deaths are expected due to lack of access to food and water and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization.

While many patients with chronic diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer are unable to access the health care or medications they require, Tedros revealed that about 24,000 women will give birth in the coming weeks without access to maternal care.

The director-general also stated that the suspension of nutrition programs puts 50,000 children at risk as power outages are threatening to render the few remaining stocks of blood stored at the Central Blood Bank inoperable.

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The head of the agency however welcomed the cease-fire reached in Sudan, urging the parties to the conflict to “fully” respect it.

“The bloodshed we have seen in the past 10 days in Sudan is heartbreaking,” Tedros Ghebreyesus told a press briefing.” WHO welcomes the cease-fire agreed between the parties. We urge all parties to fully respect the cease-fire. Already, the violence has taken a terrible toll on health.”

Regarding WHO staff in Sudan, he said: “We are relocating our staff and their dependents to safety, but we are making plans to continue our operations to the best of our ability.”

On April 15, fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum and its surroundings.

The clashes have killed at least 459 people and injured over 4,000, according to the WHO.

Many foreign countries including in Africa and other parts of the world have been evacuating their citizens for safety reasons.