Sudan’s El Fasher Siege: UN Humanitarians Killed As Refugee Crisis Intensifies

By United Nations Photos UN\YouTube Screenshots The ongoing conflict in Sudan – particularly around besieged El Fasher – and a growing refugee crisis on the South Sudan border, have intensified an already alarming humanitarian crisis, according to UN agencies on Friday.  In a new report, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has detailed the catastrophic humanitarian situation unfolding in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state. The city has been under siege for seven months by fighters from the powerful militia known as the RSF, which has been battling Government forces for control of Sudan since April last year. Thousands of civilians are trapped, leaving at least 782 civilians dead and over 1,143 injured. “The continuing siege of El Fasher and the relentless fighting are devastating lives everyday on a massive scale,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. The report, based on 52 interviews conducted in October and November with survivors who fled El Fasher, reveals a widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas by the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) – together with their allied militias. These actions raise serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law, including potential war...