The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, on Thursday said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that civilians continue to face escalating and indiscriminate violence across the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
While briefing the press in New York, Haq said that in South Darfur State, some 30 civilians were reportedly killed and many more injured – including women and children – in Monday’s drone strike in the town of Katila, about 150 kilometres south-west of Nyala.
“The strike, which hit a location under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), underscores the devastating impact of intensifying aerial attacks on civilians,” he said.
Meanwhile, in South Kordofan State, drone strikes in and around the state capital, Kadugli, and the town of Dilling point to a rapidly worsening security situation.
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that more than 1,300 people were displaced between Monday and Wednesday across the state due to insecurity and inter-communal tensions, fleeing villages in the localities of Kadugli, Talawdi, and Abassiya,” Haq stated.
OCHA reiterated its call for all parties to immediately cease attacks against civilians and to adhere to the fundamental principles under international humanitarian law of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Haq said that in Khartoum State, findings from a recent assessment by one of our partners of more than 1,200 families point to extreme food insecurity, driven by price increases of up to 500 per cent and the widespread collapse of livelihoods.
“Many families now rely on borrowing food, skipping meals, or selling their remaining assets to survive. Once again, we call for rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access across Sudan,” he said. “Our partners and we are working to expand cash and voucher assistance and are providing emergency agriculture inputs and livestock support to 64,000 farming households and 10,000 livestock-keeping families.”
“And we once again urge the international community to step up support so that life-saving assistance can reach people in urgent need across Sudan,” Haq added.