from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – THE United Nations’ top envoy in Sudan has condemned the ongoing armed violence wreaking havoc on the city of Al Fasher in North Darfur.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, expressed her “profound sadness” and “frustration.”
“This (violence) is heartbreaking and must stop. There is no excuse for direct attacks on civilians, their assets and essential facilities such as hospitals,” Nkweta-Salami said.
“These are protected under the International Humanitarian law. Parties to the conflict must refrain from targeting the city,” Nkweta-Salami added.
Initial reports indicate that large-scale fighting escalated in El Fasher City on Thursday.
This has been threatening the lives of thousands of people, mainly in camps for internally displaced people. Healthcare facilities were also reportedly affected. The number of civilian casualties is yet to be established.
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.
While Sudan has been in conflict since April 2023, the Darfur region has a history of ethnic conflicts.
In Darfur and the rest of Sudan, the public health system has been devastated by unrelenting clashes.
Key facilities have been destroyed, looted or abandoned, leaving more than 5 million people without access to healthcare services.
“These reprehensible attacks show the pointlessness of the armed violence in El Fasher,” Nkweta-Salami lamented.
She urged all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations to the international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are protected from harm.
“These attacks in El Fasher violate every humanitarian principle,” the envoy concluded.
– CAJ News