The United Nations calls for the protection of civilians and ensuring that aid reaches them in El Fasher | news

student Tom Fletcher The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs provided safe passage for civilians trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher, and ensured that humanitarian aid reached them, after the Rapid Support Forces announced their full control over the city.

On Sunday morning, the Rapid Support Forces announced their control of the city of El Fasher – the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan – the last large city in the hands of the army, after a siege that lasted more than a year.

Fletcher said in a statement, “As fighters advance into the city of El Fasher and cut off escape routes, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped, terrified, bombed, starving, and have no access to food, health care, or safety.”

He added, “I am deeply concerned by reports indicating civilian casualties and forced displacement amid escalating fighting, as violent bombardment and ground attacks sweep the city.”

The UN official stressed that the Rapid Support Forces must allow safe, rapid and unrestricted humanitarian access to all civilians in need, noting that the United Nations has life-saving supplies ready for distribution, but the intense attacks have made it impossible to deliver aid to those in need.

Fletcher called for an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, an immediate halt to attacks on civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations, and the protection of civilians who decided to remain in the city, including doctors and local aid workers.

The Rapid Support Forces have besieged El Fasher since May 10, 2024, while the Sudanese army seeks to break the siege on the city, which is the center of humanitarian operations for the five states of Darfur.

UN organizations warned in a joint statement on Thursday of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region, where “entire groups live in conditions incompatible with dignity.”

The four agencies, namely the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF and the World Food Programme, called for “urgent international attention to the crisis in Sudan to address the enormous suffering and increasing risks facing the population.”