At least six displaced people were reported killed and about 2,300 left homeless after their shelters were burnt during clashes between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces near Hasahisa camp, Sudan’s Central Darfur State on 26 September, the United Nations said.
In a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said she is outraged by reports that six people were killed in the fighting.
She further said reports indicate that pumps supplying water to the camp were damaged, cutting the supply to displaced people.
The statement pointed out that the fighters reportedly occupied a school near the camp from where they shelled their opponents, putting displaced people at risk of being caught in the crossfire.
“The suffering in Sudan has gone on for too long. Attacks on civilians and camps for displaced people are unacceptable. I urge all parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations to safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure and to respect international humanitarian and human rights laws,” Clementine said.
According to community leaders, the statement added, the camp hosts about 50,000 people who have resided there since 2005.
Many of those displaced are in dire need of life-saving assistance and protection, according to the statement.
Since April, about 5.5 million people have fled their homes due to the conflict in search of safety and refuge; 4.3 million have been displaced within Sudan and 1.2 million to neighbouring countries. This high number of displaced people in a short time has made Sudan one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises.