El Fasher, October 13 (Darfur24)
At least 17 children, including a seven-day-old infant, were reportedly killed early Saturday in an attack on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre in El Fasher, North Darfur, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A further 21 children were injured.
The facility hosts families displaced by the ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army, which has raged since April 2023 and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
According to media reports, up to 60 people were killed in Saturday’s assault, allegedly carried out by the RSF.
“This devastating attack on children and families who were already displaced and seeking safety is an outrage,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Killing and injuring children are grave violations of their rights, and attacks on civilians in places meant to offer safety and refuge are unconscionable.”
El Fasher has been besieged by RSF forces for more than 500 days, leaving civilians trapped with limited access to food, water, and medical care. Repeated bombardments have devastated neighborhoods, while humanitarian access has been severely restricted.
Large parts of North Darfur have been experiencing famine conditions for months. Families survive on minimal rations, and severe acute malnutrition among children is rising sharply. Health facilities report an increase in preventable child deaths due to hunger and disease.
Looting of aid convoys, disruption of supply routes, and the denial of humanitarian access have made sustained relief operations nearly impossible.
In response, UNICEF reiterated urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire and lifting of the siege on El Fasher, safe passage for civilians fleeing violence, unhindered humanitarian access, and accountability for attacks on civilians.
UN Resident Coordinator: “Deliberate Targeting of Civilians Must Stop”
In a separate statement on 12 October, Denise Brown, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, condemned the “repeated and deliberate targeting of civilians” in North Darfur.
She said that on 10–11 October, drone strikes hit an area sheltering displaced people in the Daraja Oula neighborhood of El Fasher, reportedly killing at least 57 civilians, including women and children. The attacks were also blamed on the RSF.
Between 5 and 8 October, a series of assaults—also reportedly by RSF forces—left at least 53 civilians dead and more than 60 injured. One of the attacks struck the Saudi Hospital, the last functioning major medical facility in El Fasher, severely damaging its capacity to treat thousands of people.
“Hospitals, shelters, and places of refuge must not be targeted,” Brown said. “These incidents demand thorough, impartial investigations, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
She reiterated calls for respect for international humanitarian law, protection of civilians, and immediate cessation of violence.
“The people of Sudan need the violence to stop,” she said. “The humanitarian community requires access, and civilians must be protected.”