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Sudan’s warring factions began a new round of ceasefire talks in Switzerland this week, the United Nations confirmed, negotiations aimed at protecting civilians and delivering humanitarian aid to millions affected by the 15-month-long civil conflict, the Voice of America reported.

Delegates of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) held their second day of discussions in Geneva on Friday with the involvement of the world body.

The talks began on a challenging note Thursday when one delegation failed to show up, although UN officials confirmed the discussions were now ongoing, Agence France-Presse noted.

The delegations are not meeting directly but are participating in “proximity talks” with UN secretary-general António Guterres’s envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, mediating.

The main focus of the Geneva talks is to ensure the distribution of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians. The delegations consist of senior representatives, including humanitarian, security, and military specialists. The duration of the talks remains uncertain, but the UN stressed the need for agreements on local ceasefires to safeguard civilians and facilitate aid.

Sudan’s conflict erupted in April 2023 following a dispute between Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan of the SAF and the RSF’s Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

The conflict has resulted in nearly 19,000 deaths and 33,000 injured, and created the world’s worst displacement crisis: According to the UN, 12.7 million people have been displaced, with 10.5 million people dispersed in Sudan and the remaining 2.2 million fleeing to neighboring countries.

The World Food Programme estimates that 18 million people are suffering from acute hunger, while the World Health Organization noted that nearly 15 million require urgent health assistance.

Previous cease-fire talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, collapsed late last year, making the current Geneva discussions crucial.

Still, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned against high expectations, saying, “We need to give it a little bit of breathing room.”