In an effort to alleviate suffering, the UN announced Monday that it is looking for $6 billion from foreign donations for Sudan this year.

The UN called the misery, which was marked by widespread displacement and escalating starvation, the “most devastating crisis of our times.”

At a time when aid budgets around the world are strained, in part because of a funding stop declared by US President Donald Trump last month that has impacted life-saving programs worldwide, the appeal for Sudan is more than 40% higher than it was last year.

However, according to the UN, the money is required because the 22-month conflict between the army of Sudan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, is expected to escalate. The conflict has already resulted in the displacement of 5% of the country’s population and has caused extreme starvation for 50% of it.

Prior to the launch, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher declared, “Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions.”

“Children are being killed and injured; famine is spreading; and sexual assault is on the rise. The pain is unbearable.

The UN statement stated that famine conditions have been documented in at least five places in Sudan, including camps for displaced people in Darfur, and that this situation is expected to get worse due to ongoing fighting and the breakdown of essential services.