Geneva , April 26(Darfur24)
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed his deep concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in and around El Fasher, North Darfur State, Sudan.
In a statement published by the Commission, Volker said that recent days have witnessed a rise in civilian casualties, attacks on humanitarian workers, and an alarming increase in cases of sexual violence, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified their attacks on the city and neighboring camps for displaced persons.
He added: “The increasing number of civilian casualties and widespread reports of sexual violence are horrific.”
He added: “We have received accounts of people being abducted from the Zamzam camp for displaced persons, and women, girls, and boys being subjected to individual and gang rape inside the camp or while trying to flee the attacks.” He noted that the fate of many people trapped inside the camp remains unknown.
Türk stressed the need to “allow civilians to leave El Fasher and surrounding areas safely and provide them with protection upon arrival in safer areas.”
The commission reported that 129 civilians were killed between April 20 and 24 in El Fasher, Um Kadada, and Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons.
It confirmed that in total, at least 481 civilians have been killed in North Darfur since April 10, although the actual death toll is likely much higher.
The commission reported that the recent attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, most of whom have been displaced for the second or third time after being displaced during previous rounds of conflict. In areas such as Tawila, Dar al-Salam, and other towns, they face catastrophic humanitarian conditions amid continued restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid.