Sudan crisis: Uneasy truce is maintained despite gunfire

​A ceasefire in Sudan appears to be holding, although there have been reports of new gunfire and shelling. It is the fourth effort to stop the fighting which began on 15 April, with previous truces not observed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the 72-hour truce had been agreed between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). At least 459 people have died in the conflict so far, though the actual number is thought to be much higher. The RSF has accused the army of violating the truce by "continuing to attack Khartoum with planes". The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned there is a "high risk of biological hazard" after fighters seized a laboratory believed to be holding samples of diseases, including polio and measles. The violence in Khartoum has caused food and water supplies to run low, and hospitals are struggling to cope. Countries have evacuated diplomats and civilians, and the UN is bracing for up to 270,000 people to flee Sudan into neighbouring South Sudan and Chad. Hassan Ibrahim, 91, is one of those to have already fled the country, making the perilous journey into neighbouring Egypt with his family. He told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme they had escaped being caught up in a firefight between RSF fighters and the army, but that a van travelling behind them was hit. They then boarded a bus to the border, which took 12 hours, only to be met by "crowded and chaotic" scenes as people waited to be given entry. The UN is bracing for up to 270,000 people to flee Sudan into neighbouring South Sudan and Chad.​