The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it was "greatly alarmed by the escalating violence in Sudan" and said the majority of those arriving in Chad were women and children.

"The initial, most pressing, needs are water, food, shelter, health care, child protection, and prevention of gender-based violence," a statement from the body added.

It is not clear how the six-day long conflict will end. Two humanitarian ceasefires have failed, and the head of Sudan's army, who is at the heart of the conflict, told Al Jazeera on Thursday that he does not see negotiating with a rival paramilitary group as an option.

The violence has caused widespread suffering, with Sudanese people stranded in their homes unable to access adequate food and clean water.