A United Nations study has said that there is little hope of peace in Sudan unless it addresses widespread environmental damage and climate change. The study said that it found out that the conflict in Darfur is spreading deserts, deforestation, and threatens to raise ethnic tensions. But it said that drought helped spark the Darfur conflict, as African farmers and Arab nomads fought over water and land. The United Nations Environment Program report says competition over oil, gas, water, timber ,and land use are behind the "instigation and perpetuation" of decades of fighting throughout Sudan.

The UN recommended Sudan to work on reducing the environmental impact of its oil industry and agricultural practices. And Sudan should prevent local conflicts over natural resources. On the same issue, the United Nations said that Eritrea is in need of humanitarian assistance due to the expected heavy rains this year. The United Nations said that Eritrea had produced for the last 9 years 30 per cent only of the cereal crops. The UN said that Eritrea had started an oil for food program .