Yesterday, the United Nations warned of a humanitarian catastrophe following an increase in violence and human rights violations in the Darfur region, western Sudan, after fierce battles intensified in the seventh month of the ongoing war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees confirmed, in a statement, “More than 800 people were killed by armed groups in Ardamta, Western Darfur, an area that had until now been spared from the conflict.”
Ardamta includes an internal camp for displaced people, where nearly 100 shelters were destroyed, according to the High Commissioner. Also, many looting operations were recorded in the region, especially the organization’s relief materials.
The spokesman for the United Nations in Geneva, William Spindler, said that these people were killed “in recent days.” The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: “Twenty years ago, the world was shocked by the brutal atrocities and human rights violations in Darfur.
“We fear that a similar dynamic will develop.” He added: “An immediate cessation of fighting and unconditional respect for civilians from all parties is necessary. To avoid a new disaster.
The High Commissioner expresses its deep concern over reports of violence, torture, arbitrary killing, extortion of civilians, and targeting of ethnic groups, as well as reports of the displacement of thousands fleeing the hell of El Geneina. While the organization is preparing for a new influx of refugees into Chad.
She notes that “those who managed to flee across the border are arriving in large numbers,” explaining that “more than 8,000 people fled to Chad last week alone – a number that may be an underestimate due to difficulties in registering new arrivals.”
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration revealed that there are reports of the killing of about 700 civilians in the western Darfur region, after violent fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, in the city of El Geneina, on the fourth and fifth of this November.
The International Migration statement confirmed that 100 civilians were injured in El Geneina during the clashes the day before yesterday, and 300 others were considered missing by the organization. In addition, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) reported that it had received reports of “serious human rights violations” being committed in the Ardamta region after the Rapid Support Forces took control of the military garrison in El Geneina.
The bloody conflict in Sudan, since mid-April, has led to the displacement of more than 4.8 million civilians within the country, and 1.2 million others have sought refuge in neighboring countries, amid the systematic destruction of most of the infrastructure, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It left more than 9,000 people dead, according to estimates by the non-governmental organization “ECLID”, which are considered an underestimate.
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2023-11-10 22:02:39
