Residential areas, markets, hospitals and shelters for displaced people are all affected, he told reporters at the daily briefing in New York.
According to the UN migration agency, as many as 329,000 people have been displaced from the last government-controlled city in Darfur in the past three months (IOM).
Mr Dujarric said civilians must be protected and those fleeing the fighting must be given safe passage.
“It is critical that the parties de-escalate to prevent further suffering to civilians and allow the unhindered delivery of life-saving aid,” he stressed.
Reaction continues
“In the meantime, we and our partners continue our efforts to address those needs, including by trying to bring health packages to the areas around El Fasher, including to civilian gathering points.”
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is also strengthening food assistance in areas where displaced people are staying in El Fasher and in the towns of Tawila and Dar As Salam in North Darfur state.
Conflict is also intensifying in Sennar state, close to the Ethiopian border, leading to further civilian suffering and more serious human rights violations, UN humanitarian workers warn.
According to the UN Aid Coordination Office (OCHA) more than 136,000 people have been displaced as fighting between the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spreads across the state.
Civilians face multiple protection risks, including widespread looting. Reports indicate that the RSF has occupied Sinja Teaching Hospital, using patients and staff as human shields and disrupting medical services.
Forced displacement has spread to neighbouring states including Gedaref, Blue Nile and Kassala, where humanitarian partners are scaling up their response. But aid teams have warned that the rainy season has begun and conditions in displacement sites are dire.
OCHA is already working with state authorities and humanitarian partners to address the crisis. But it warned that the situation is getting worse as protection concerns grow, with citizens reporting that shops and markets are being looted, leaving them without basic necessities.
UN mission in South Sudan calls for consensus on election roadmap
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISSABLE) a joint statement published on Thursday, calling on parties to the long-awaited peace deal to “reach consensus” on the best way to hold free and fair elections in the world’s youngest country.
UNMISS, the African Union Mission in South Sudan, and the regional bloc known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) began their statement by congratulating the country on its 13th anniversary of independence.
But they urged the government and political rivals, who signed the so-called Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict six years ago, to “provide clarity on the electoral road map.”
Reflecting the ‘will of the electorate’
They noted that numerous different positions were being taken and expressed on transitional measures. They said that while it was the “sovereign prerogative” of South Sudanese leaders to decide, the path to successful elections had to be “in accordance with agreed processes, procedures and timelines.”
National elections are due to be held in December, but there is no agreement yet on the basic rules for moving forward.
Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese were killed and millions were displaced during the 2013-2018 war between government forces and rival militias. While some problems have been resolved, many remain.
The AU mission, IGAD and UNMISS call on everyone to work together collectively: “In this regard, the partners reiterate their full support for all efforts to ultimately achieve peaceful, free, fair and credible elections that reflect the will of the electorate.”
Rights expert calls on Brazil to protect indigenous rights amid controversial new law
The UN calls on Brazil’s Supreme Court and Senate to protect the rights of indigenous peoples to land, territories and natural resources.
UN Human Rights CouncilThe independent human rights expert appointed by José Francisco Calí Tzay urges immediate action to suspend the new law that could dispossess or evict indigenous communities.
Mr Calí Tzay praised Brazil’s Supreme Court for rejecting the “Marco Temporal” doctrine, which requires indigenous peoples to prove they occupied their land on October 5, 1988.
But he said he was deeply concerned about Congress’s hasty passage of the new law, which effectively reinstates the doctrine.
Outside the borders
The human rights expert said the law violates international human rights standards that protect the rights of indigenous peoples without time limit.
He stressed the importance of indigenous territories for biodiversity and climate balance, warning that mining, gold mining and cattle ranching could cause significant environmental damage.
He also called on the Supreme Court to suspend the law until it is declared constitutional.
Special Rapporteurs and other experts on human rights appointed by the Human Rights Council are independent of any government, receive no salary for their work and serve in their personal capacity.