UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that the worsening crisis in Sudan's Darfur region threatens to spark another round of massive displacement that could destabilize the entire region.

"Humanitarian agencies are already struggling to cope with the enormous needs of some 2 million internally displaced people inside Darfur, plus more than 200,000 refugees across the border in Chad," the refugee high commissioner said in a statement.

"Deteriorating security has left us unable to provide even minimal help across wide areas of Darfur, and resources in neighboring Chad have been stretched to the limit," he said.

Guterres cited the lack of security and access as well as continuing uncertainty over the deployment to Darfur of a UN peacekeeping force that was recently approved by the UN Security Council.

The Khartoum government opposes the UN deployment. In addition, thousands of Sudanese troops have been deployed to Darfur in recent weeks, "prompting fears of a major military offensive that could lead to yet more displacement," he said.

Guterres called for urgent international action to put pressure on the parties to the conflict and to convince everyone involved on the ground to let humanitarian agencies safely carry out their work.

"Lives depend on it. If things don't improve, we're heading for a major catastrophe," he warned.

Security in many parts of Darfur has steadily deteriorated since last December. A dozen aid workers have been killed since May, and humanitarian convoys are repeatedly attacked and vehicles stolen.

Guterres said the worsening situation in Darfur could also have dire consequences for the rest of the region.

Neighboring Chad is already grappling with cross-border insecurity that has displaced some 50,000 Chadians and sent about 15,000 of them fleeing into Darfur.

The Darfur crisis also has the potential to exacerbate continuing instability in the northern areas of the Central African Republic. Some 46,000 Central African refugees are housed in three UN camps in southern Chad.

"Chad has been extremely generous in helping refugees, but it's now close to the breaking point," Guterres cautioned.

"It is hard to comprehend the enormity of the crisis we would face if there is additional large-scale displacement in Darfur," he added.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and many more forced from their homes since Darfur rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing Khartoum of marginalizing the region.

Despite a peace deal last May signed by one of the three rebel factions and the government, the violence has increased.

Source: Xinhua