Agencies , May 14(Darfur 24)

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed grave concern over the resumption of clashes in El Fasher, North Darfur, between the army and RSF ,putting life of more than 800,000 civilians at risk, calling for civilians to be allowed to move to safer areas.

Guterres expressed concern about reports of the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, resulting in dozens of casualties, the displacement of large numbers of people and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

According to his spokesman, that civilians in this region are already facing imminent famine and the consequences of a war that has been ongoing for more than a year between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.

António Guterres reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law that require the protection of civilians, and called on them to allow the civilian population to move to safer areas.

He requested that all parties to the conflict should facilitate safe, urgent and unhindered humanitarian access to all civilians in need of assistance in El Fasher and throughout Darfur and Sudan.

The statement stated that deliberately directing attacks against the civilian population and obstructing humanitarian relief from reaching civilians in need may constitute a war crime.

The Secretary-General urged the parties to immediately stop fighting and resume ceasefire negotiations without further delay.

According to a preliminary toll, the battles in El Fasher resulted in the deaths of 38 people and the injury of 189 others, according to the El Fasher City Emergency Committee. The Babiker Nahar Children’s Hospital was also evacuated after an aerial bombardment near it, which led to the death of two children and a health care provider.

Al-Fasher Southern Hospital, the only one operating in the city, is overcrowded with wounded, which threatens to put it out of service, especially since it is located near the area of clashes.

Two days ago, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkwita Salami, expressed her concern about reports of the use of heavy weapons in the fighting in the city of El Fasher.

For weeks, El Fasher, which houses more than 800,000 displaced people in addition to its population, has witnessed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which launched widespread attacks on villages west of the city.

El Fasher is considered a major aid center in the North Darfur region, located in western Sudan, where a quarter of the country’s 48 million people live. The city contains a large number of refugees, and has so far remained safe from battles, but the surrounding villages have been witnessing battles since mid-April.

Armed movements that signed the Juba peace agreement with the government in 2020 are fighting alongside the Sudanese army in El Fasher, led by the Sudan Liberation Forces, led by Minni Arko Minawi, and the Justice and Equality Movement, led by Jibril Ibrahim.

The United Nations said on Sunday that the battles that took place on Friday alone in El Fasher between the army and the Rapid Support Forces resulted in the deaths of at least 27 people and the wounding of 130 others.