Gunmen kill 2 ICRC workers, injure 3 others in South Darfur

May 2, 2024 (NYALA) – Gunmen killed two drivers working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan’s South Darfur State and injured three other staff on Thursday, the agency announced.

“The team was on its way back from Layba to assess the humanitarian situation of communities affected by armed violence in the region when the incident occurred,” the ICRC statement reads in part.

“We are in deep mourning for our dear colleagues. We extend our sincere condolences to their families, and we hope for a speedy recovery for our injured co-workers,” said Pierre Dorbes, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan.

He added that ICRC’s priority is to support those most affected by the tragedy, in particular the victims’ families, relatives and colleagues.

The agency called for immediate protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers and medical personnel.

“They must never be directly attacked”, stressed the statement.

Sudan has been at war since conflict between the Sudanese army (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his ex-deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo broke out in mid-April 2023.

According to the United Nations, over 14000 people have been killed and more than 8.2 million displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world.

(ST)