19 humanitarian workers killed in Sudan conflict, says UN

August 17, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – 19 aid workers have been killed in 17 separate attacks since conflict erupted in Sudan on April 15, the United Nations said.

“Ahead of World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, we mourn the loss of our beloved colleagues, call for perpetrators of attacks on aid workers and assistance to be held accountable, and once again remind parties to the conflict that humanitarians and the aid they deliver should never be a target,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

Eddie Rowe, the UN relief coordinator in Sudan expressed concerns over the recent attacks on World Food Programme (WFP) staff, citing an incident in which three of its employees were killed and two others injured in Sudan’s North Darfur State.

“Their deaths are yet another sign that Sudan is being pulled back into one of the grimmest chapters in its history. Not since the height of the Darfur conflict between 2003 and 2006 has Sudan seen so many fatal attacks on aid workers,” he said.

Humanitarian facilities have also been repeatedly attacked, with at least 53 warehouses looted, 87 offices ransacked, and 208 vehicles stolen as of 13 August.

According to the UN official, targeting of humanitarians is against the rules of war.

“Aid workers are neutral and impartial in conflict. Their role is to relieve the suffering of people caught up in crisis. Their safety and that of the civilians they serve must be guaranteed,” Rowe said head of World Humanitarian Day.

While pledging the humanitarian community’s commitment deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in need, despite the challenges, Rowe appealed to the conflicting parties in Sudan to observe the cessation of hostilities agreement and desist from attacks, harassing, intimidating or arbitrarily detaining aid workers.

Since the start of fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), more than 4.3 million people have been forced to flee Sudan and 3.2 million are internally displaced, including 187,000 refugees seeking shelter in the country.

At least 4,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the conflict, the UN said, but activists and doctors on the ground say the death toll is likely to be higher.

(ST)