- Hurricane Melissa: UN Appeals $74M to Aid 2.2M in Cuba |
- Doha Summit Stresses Urgent Investment in People and Peace |
- Sand syndicates tighten grip on Bangladesh's northern region |
- Prof Yunus orders security forces to hunt down Ctg attackers |
- IU suspends 3 students for assaulting journos, warns 9 others |
Sudan violence in El Fasher sparks UN aid for civilians
Chad. Thousands of Sudanese refugees continue to flee across border
UN agencies are intensifying relief efforts to assist civilians fleeing escalating violence in North Darfur, Sudan, where fighting has caused widespread abuses and mass displacement, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
“We are deeply alarmed by mounting reports of grave violations against civilians,” Haq said, citing accounts of “executions, sexual violence, humiliation, extortion, and attacks” following the capture of El Fasher, the state capital, by the Rapid Support Forces militia last week.
According to the UN migration agency IOM, nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since 26 October, many heading to Tawila, which already hosts hundreds of thousands displaced by previous fighting.
The UN reproductive rights agency UNFPA warned that women and girls have suffered rape, abduction, and “other extreme violence” while fleeing.
Haq said local sources reported around 1,300 people with gunshot wounds arriving in Tawila after being attacked during their escape.
“We again call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law,” he added, stressing that the safety of civilians and humanitarian workers must be guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said Chad now hosts 1.4 million refugees, mostly from Darfur, and warned that more people are likely to cross the border as violence worsens. “With escalating violence in El Fasher, another major influx into Chad is anticipated, further straining host communities,” Haq said.