UN Humanitarian Coordinator urges end to attacks in El Fasher
September 15, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami has expressed her profound sadness and frustration over the ongoing armed violence that is wreaking havoc on El Fasher city of Sudan’s North Darfur state.
“This is heartbreaking and must stop. There is no excuse for direct attacks on civilians, their assets and essential facilities such as hospitals. These are protected under the International Humanitarian law. Parties to the conflict must refrain from targeting the city,” she said in a statement on Sunday.
Initial reports, the UN said, indicate that large-scale fighting escalated in El Fasher on 12 September threatening the lives of thousands of people, mainly in camps for internally displaced people.
The clashes have impacted on healthcare facilities, but the number of civilian casualties is yet to be established. But the conflict continues, devastating lives, livelihoods and essential infrastructure.
El Fasher is home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people at risk of famine, including in the Zamzam camp where famine has been confirmed. In addition, however, the public health system in Sudan has also been devastated by the ongoing conflict with many facilities destroyed, looted, or abandoned, leaving more than five million people without access to healthcare services.
“These reprehensible attacks show the pointlessness of the armed violence in El Fasher. All parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations to the international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are protected from harm. These attacks in El Fasher violate every humanitarian principle,” stressed Nkweta-Salami.
The power struggle between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into a large scale conflict in mid-April last year and has been driving humanitarian needs in the country ever since.
Estimates indicated that the conflict has killed over 15,000 people with at least 12 million displaced.
An additional 25 million or more than half of Sudan’s population need humanitarian assistance. Before the conflict broke out, however, Sudan was already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis.
There are concerns that while the conlict in Sudan continues to spread, humanitarian access has become more limited. Intense violence and movement restrictions on humanitarian actors have prevented the delivery of aid, especially in the south on the country where assistance is much needed.
(ST)