The spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday said the UN is distressed by the horrific humanitarian crisis in Al Fasher City in Sudan’s North Darfur State.
Stéphane Dujarric said that the Secretary-General is gravely alarmed by reports of a full-scale assault on the city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and called on Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti,’ the leader of the RSF, to act responsibly and immediately order a halt to the attack.
“Any further escalation will also threaten to spread the conflict along intercommunal lines throughout Darfur. The Secretary-General underscores that a ceasefire is not only necessary, but an urgent imperative, both in El Fasher and across all other conflict zones in Sudan,” he stated. “The Secretary-General recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to advance peace. He stands ready to support genuine efforts to halt this violence and move toward such peace.”
Dujarric added: “Over the weekend, our humanitarian colleagues told us that they saw multiple reports indicating intense fighting in and around densely populated civilian areas in El Fasher, with widespread destruction of homes and continuing civilian casualties and displacement.”
He said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the escalation of hostilities in Al Fasher continues to fuel displacement, with an estimated 1,500 human beings fleeing El Fasher between Thursday and Saturday alone.
“The humanitarian organizations stand ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other areas in need across Sudan. But to reach people in El Fasher and across Sudan, our humanitarian organizations require safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access,” Dujarric explained. “This seems to be a refrain in many parts of the world. Despite myriad challenges – including insecurity, impediments, and flooding that has made some roads impassable – we and our partners are rushing to reach civilians staring down famine wherever we can actually reach them.”
The Secretary-General’s spokesperson also reported that the World Food Programme says urgent assistance is being provided to displaced people outside El Fasher.
“In Zamzam camp – where, as you know, famine conditions were confirmed last month,” he stated. “About 180,000 people are receiving flour, lentils, oil, and salt with the help of local suppliers, retailers, and humanitarian partners, but a lot more assistance is needed for the people in Zamzam camp and Sudan.”