The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, on Wednesday said she is appalled and deeply saddened by the continued and intensifying attacks on civilians across Sudan.
On 24 March, an airstrike hit Torra market, 40 kilometres north of Al Fasher in North Darfur, reportedly killing and injuring dozens of civilians.
“A market – meant to be a place of daily life and livelihood – turned into a scene of devastation,” Nkweta-Salami said. “There are also disturbing reports that some of the injured are dying due to the lack of access to timely medical care in Al Fasher, where the ongoing siege and hostilities have forced most health facilities to shut down, leaving civilians with little to no access to life-saving treatment.”
She said that the horrific airstrike is yet another stark reminder of the growing disregard for human life and international humanitarian law in this conflict.
“It follows a recent attack in Al Malha locality, North Darfur, where the situation has deteriorated rapidly. Reports indicate large numbers of civilians killed and mass displacement. The surge in violence has also intensified looting and widespread destruction, further compounding the suffering of civilians,” Nkweta-Salami stated. “I unequivocally condemn all deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Markets, hospitals, schools, mosques, and private homes are not battlegrounds. Yet civilians are being killed in the very places where they should be safest.”
These assaults are not only unlawful – they are morally unconscionable. They must not be allowed to continue without consequences. Civilians’ rights must be protected, and their safety urgently guaranteed.
The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator called for the provision of safe and unhindered passage for civilians seeking to flee areas of active conflict. She added that it is also essential that humanitarian actors are granted access to deliver life-saving assistance to all people in need across North Darfur and beyond.
“I remind those engaged in the hostilities of their clear obligations under international humanitarian law: to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm, and to refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas,” she urged and concluded: “All sides to the conflict must respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attacks.”