The Sudanese government on Tuesday announced the end of a tripartite initiative by the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League for providing humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflicts in South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas.

Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Suleiman Abdul-Rahman held the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector responsible for the failure of the initiative's implementation within its specified time table.

"The Sudanese government signed a memorandum of understanding with the partners of the tripartite initiative on Aug. 5 to implement the items of the initiative in 90 days. The period set elapsed on Nov. 2 without achieving any result," Abdul-Rahman told Xinhua Tuesday.

"The Sudanese government has fulfilled all its commitments toward the implementation of the initiative, but the SPLM rebels have procrastinated a lot and wasted much time via failing to respond to practical requests including cease-fire, opening of passages and allowing the humanitarian workers to access the areas controlled by the rebels to deliver humanitarian assistance to the needed," he added.

He reiterated the Sudanese government's commitment to delivering the humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflicts in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, urging the international community to support Khartoum's efforts in this respect.

Meanwhile, the SPLM/northern sector, which is fighting the Sudanese army in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, blamed the Sudanese government for the failure of the initiative.

"The government of the National Congress Party (NCP) is responsible for the failure of this humanitarian initiative," Arno Taloudy, spokesman of the SPLM/northern sector, told Xinhua by phone from the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

"Since the beginning, Khartoum has exercised a deliberate delay and set many barriers before the international partners with the aim of aborting the tripartite initiative to provide humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of the population of Blue Nile and South Kordofan areas," he added.

The Sudanese government agreed in July on the tripartite initiative, and signed on Aug. 5 a memorandum of understanding with the three partners to implement the initiative within three months.

International reports said over 500,000 people are living under serious humanitarian conditions in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, while Khartoum said this figure was exaggerated and the number does not exceed 65,000 people.

South Kordofan and Blue Nile states have been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese government forces and rebels of the SPLM/northern sector, which declared rebellion against the Sudanese government following the independence of South Sudan.