KHARTOUM, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) - Sudan on Saturday denounced a statement by the U.S. State Department accusing the Sudanese authorities of obstructing people's access to humanitarian aid.

In a statement, Sudan's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. allegations against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Government of Sudan relating to humanitarian aid and civilian activities are "false accusations."

It reiterated the Sudanese government's commitment to the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians, signed on May 11, 2023.

The ministry added that the U.S. statement avoided issuing an explicit, clear, and exclusive condemnation of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

On Thursday, the United States condemned the obstruction of humanitarian aid access in Sudan, calling on the SAF and the RSF to immediately allow unhindered humanitarian assistance deliveries to all parts of Sudan.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) recent decision to prohibit cross-border humanitarian assistance from Chad and reports that the SAF is obstructing assistance from reaching communities in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," said the U.S. State Department.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023. More than 13,000 people have been killed since the fighting broke out, according to recent estimates released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Photo from CGTN