US Secretary of State Colin Powell left for Sudan's troubled Darfur region today on a trip aid agencies said could save lives by putting the pressure on Khartoum to curb Arab militias and streamline relief work.
As Mr Powell took off from the Sudanese capital, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Khartoum on a similar mission, demonstrating the high-level international interest in the plight of some two million Darfuris affected by conflict.
Foreign aid officials said Mr Powell's visit to a camp for people forced to leave their homes in Darfur could pressure the Sudanese government to ease the crisis and save lives.
Mr Powell's trip to the scene of what is widely described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis will also highlight the need for aid and may spur other governments and institutions to help the Darfuris, they said.
Mr Powell and Mr Annan have warned Khartoum of possible Security Council action if its does not act against the Janjaweed Arab militias, which have been driving black Darfuris from their homes, and lift restrictions on access by relief organisations.
Since Mr Powell's visit was first announced last week, donors have been much more willing to provide aid, Mr Marcus Prior of the World Food Programme said.
A senior US official said up to a million people could die this year in camps because the government-backed Janjaweed have razed villages, burned crops and destroyed water sources.
A million Darfuris have fled their homes in the past 18 months because of fighting in the arid region between the Janjaweed and government forces on the one hand and two rebel groups who say they are acting to protect the villagers.
Relief organisations are racing to take food and medicine to camps before the imminent rainy season will cut off vast areas. The Sudanese government rejects charges it supports the Janjaweed and plays down the severity of the crisis.