Violence in Darfur broke out in 2003 after ethnic Africans targeted the central, mainly Arab, government over discrimination claims. Government forces retaliated in a police and military operation allied with the Arab Janjaweed militia accused of numerous atrocities.
John Holmes, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, also told a meeting of the UN Security Council Tuesday that over 2.7 million people have been displaced with about 260,000 fleeing to nearby Chad from the region in western Sudan.
"We continue to see the goalposts receding, to the point where peace in Darfur seems further away today than ever," Holmes said.
Based on a 2006 figure of 200,000 dead from the conflict by the World Health Organization, Holmes said the number for the five years of violence "must be much higher now - perhaps as much as half again."
Sudan's UN envoy, Abdul Mahmoud Abdel-Halim, called the figures exaggerated. He said that only around 10,000 people had died in Darfur, adding the deaths were through military action.
In 2007, the UN authorized the deployment of 26,000 joint U.N.-African Union peacekeepers (UNAMID), but only around 10,000 troops have been deployed so far.
Among the numerous challenges facing the peacekeepers' deployment is the extremely hostile environment, as well as a lack of military equipment, including logistical support, engineers, combat helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft.
Rodolphe Adada, the AU-UN joint special representative for Darfur, told the meeting that nearly 80% of peacekeepers could be deployed this year if donor-countries provide assistance with troops and equipment.
But even when the troops are deployed "only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed," Holmes said.
