UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland said Friday that the next fewweeks would be absolutely critical for millions of people in Darfur of Sudan.

    Egeland made the remarks when briefing the Security Council on his recent trip to Sudan and Chad. He stressed that the humanitarian situation in the strife-torn Darfur region could get even worse in the coming days if the international community failsto take immediate steps to ensure the implementation.

    "There is real hope that we are turning the corner," he said, referring to the peace efforts. "But we can still enter a downwardspiral that will put millions even further into chaos."

    Egeland urged the council to take immediate steps to strengthenthe African Union force, known as AMIS, and speed the transition to a UN operation, saying the future "is now in the hands of the Security Council."

    "Something has to be done urgently," he concluded. "The next few weeks will make or break. We will regret if we failed to do everything we can right now." Enditem