The United Nations speaks of widespread displacement in El Fasher and warnings of famine in Sudan

7 million displaced people and refugees in Sudan due to the war (Reuters)

A UN official announced that the violent fighting in the city of El Fasher, the capital of the Darfur region, western Sudan, led to “deaths and injuries, widespread displacement and damage to infrastructure,” while the World Food Program said that the situation was “catastrophic” in Sudan, as it faces... About 18 million people are “acutely hungry.”

The United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Toby Harward, said on his VX account that “the escalation of the conflict would be disastrous for the hundreds of thousands of displaced people who have taken refuge in the city.”

The UN official revealed that the UN office in Sudan receives reports of widespread recruitment of children between the ages of 11 and 17 into the ranks of the warring parties and other armed groups in the city.

Harward pointed out that "the recruitment and use of children from the armed forces is a serious violation of children's rights and international humanitarian law."

El Fasher is considered the last state capital in the Darfur region that is still under the control of government forces, after the fall of the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, El Daein, the capital of East Darfur state, and Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state, in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces. .

If El Fasher falls into the hands of the Rapid Support Forces, these forces will have extended their influence and control over the entire Darfur region, which indicates that the El Fasher battle is fateful for both sides.

Famine warning

In a related context, the World Food Program warns of the “catastrophic” situation in Sudan, where about 18 million people face “acute hunger.”

The UN organization said, “The number of hungry people has more than doubled compared to last year, and 5 million people are suffering from emergency levels of acute hunger, due to the ongoing conflict” in Sudan between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

She added that the situation has become catastrophic, with about 18 million people facing “acute hunger” across the country.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), have been waging a war that has left more than 13,000 dead and more than 7 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.

Source: Anadolu Agency