Over the past two weeks, more than 480 civilians have been killed in a series of attacks in Sudan’s North Darfur region, some of which were ethnically motivated, as reported by the United Nations.
Violent clashes between armed militias and forces of the military government have escalated dramatically across North Darfur in recent weeks as Sudan marked two years of civil war.
The UN human rights office confirmed on Friday that it had listed at least 481 civilians killed in North Darfur since April 10, “although the actual number is likely much higher.”
Among the victims were at least 210 civilians, including nine medical professionals, killed between April 11 and 13 in the Zamzam IDP camp.
At least 129 civilians were killed between April 20 and 24 in El Fasher city, Um Kedada district, and the Abu Shouk IDP camp.
Apart from this, dozens of people were reported to have died due to scarcity of food, water, and medical care in RSF detention facilities or while walking for days in harsh conditions in an attempt to flee violence.
Sudan is currently the only country in the world where famine has been officially confirmed.
Despite the growing crisis, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) earlier on Friday warned it may be forced to scale back its food support within weeks due to funding shortages.
The recent wave of violence in North Darfur has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee, many of whom were already displaced earlier in the conflict.
Most are now sheltering in places like Tawila, Dar es Salam, and other areas, enduring dire conditions as access to lifesaving humanitarian aid remains severely restricted.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed grave concern over the worsening human rights situation in and around El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan.
“The rising number of civilian casualties and the widespread reports of sexual violence are horrifying,” said Türk in a press release.
Noting that the fate of so many others trapped inside the camp is unknown, Türk said, “We have heard accounts of people being abducted from Zamzam IDP camp and of women, girls, and boys being raped or gang-raped there or as they tried to escape the attacks.”
He asserted that, “The systems to assist victims in many areas are on the verge of collapse, medical workers are themselves under threat, and even water sources have been deliberately attacked. The suffering of the Sudanese people is hard to imagine, harder to comprehend, and simply impossible to accept.”
He urged both parties, notably their leaders, urgently to halt all human rights violations and abuses, respect international humanitarian and human rights law, and put an end to this “senseless war.”
Since conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, more than 12.4 million people have been displaced, including over 3.3 million who have fled to neighbouring countries.
Partner Thousands more have been killed in the violence, with the Darfur region among the hardest hit.
