[un under-Secretary-General: conflict in Sudan is a "devastating setback" for the people of the Soviet Union] April 18, under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffith issued a statement on 17 April local time, saying that the recent conflict in Sudan will be a "devastating setback" for the Sudanese people. Griffith said that before the conflict, humanitarian needs in Sudan had reached an all-time high, with 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The statement said reports of attacks on hospitals and hydropower infrastructure were shocking. Griffith said in a statement that the conflict will deprive Sudanese, including urban residents, of access to food, water, education, fuel and other important services, pushing the already precarious health care system further to the brink of collapse.