UN relief chief decries indiscriminate attacks on civilian facilities in Sudan
October 25, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – The Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami has expressed deep concern over continued reports of attacks against civilian infrastructure as brutal fighting continues across Sudan.
“I am deeply concerned that facilities that are necessary for the functioning of basic services including water, sanitation, and health care, are under attack in Sudan,” she said in a statement.
The UN official said several attack incidents were recorded in Sudan this month.
According to the world body, on 9 October, shells struck Al Nao hospital, one of the last functioning hospitals in Omdurman, killing two people and injuring five others at a time when medical personnel were attending to patients.
Four other shells exploded near the hospital, killing two more people, it added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it verified 58 attacks on the health care system resulting in 31 deaths and 38 injuries, an average of 10 attacks per month.
Also, more than 70% of health facilities in conflict-affected states are reportedly non-functional, severely limiting access to health care for millions of innocent civilians.
On 21 October, the Al Manara water treatment plan in Omdurman was fired on leading to the temporary stoppage of the water supply, according to the UN.
This kind of disruption is extremely worrying given the ongoing cholera outbreak in Khartoum State and other parts of the country, it stressed, adding that “a damaged water plant not only disrupts the supply for days but could also result in a prolonged crisis that affects agriculture, industry, and daily life”.
“Over the past six months, I have repeatedly called on the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and all parties to Sudan’s conflict to protect civilian infrastructure. International Humanitarian Law is clear in this regard,” emphasized the UN humanitarian coordinator.
She added, “All parties to armed conflict must take constant care to spare civilian objects, including humanitarian personnel and assets, and essential infrastructure. These attacks must stop”.
Nearly 7.1 million people are internally displaced within Sudan, of that 3.8 million are newly displaced as a result of the violence that erupted mid-April between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Force (SAF), the UN said.
(ST)