UN urges immediate action to stop fighting in El Fasher — Global Issues

Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias continue to violate international humanitarian and human rights law, Martha Pobee, Under-Secretary-General for Africa at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), said in a speech to the Security Council.

“Violations included summary executions, abductions and enforced disappearances.arbitrary and incommunicado detention of civilians by both sides, with many subjected to torture and other human rights violations,” she said.

She also expressed deep concern about shrinking civic space, ethnically motivated attacks and hate speech, and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, calling for immediate action to stop the fighting.

“A dangerous new reality has now emerged in the wake of the El Fasher escalation with serious and unpredictable consequences“It risks broadening and entrenching the conflict, deepening the ethnic polarisation of Sudanese society and further destabilising the region,” she warned.

Situation in El Fasher

El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur and a city of nearly a million people, is a hotbed of The conflict in SudanDespite repeated calls by the Security Council to stop the fighting, intensive shelling and airstrikes continue, destroying hospitals and civilian infrastructure.

The humanitarian situation there has steadily deteriorated, with more than 700,000 displaced people at immediate risk. Civilians, particularly women and children, face serious threats amid deteriorating access to health care and widespread food insecurity affecting 1.7 million people in the region.

Famine has been declared in Zamzam campa place with about half a million inhabitants, on the edge of El Fasher, and Another 13 places at risk of famine have been identified in North Darfur.

It’s only getting worse

Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also said that the charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported in February that one child died every two hours in Zamzam camp.

“The latest screening by MSF and the Ministry of Health between September 1 and 5 indicates that the situation is only getting worse“, she said, noting that about 34 percent of children are malnourished, including 10 percent who are severely malnourished.

“The situation is exacerbated by almost insurmountable obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid. Since May, the roads to Zamzam and El Fasher have become inaccessible due to fighting around the town, and more recently due to damage caused by heavy rains and flooding,” she added.

We don’t give up

Despite the dire conditions, humanitarian efforts have not stopped.

“We haven’t given up yet“, said Ms Msuya, who expressed hope that as flood waters recede, supplies could finally reach El Fasher and other areas at risk of famine.

However, she stressed that it is still vital to de-escalate the fighting.

“Without safe, predictable access and a steady supply of food and humanitarian aid, we will witness a dramatic increase in mortality – including among children – in Zamzam and other areas around El Fasher,” she warned.

UN efforts continue

In addition to humanitarian efforts, the UN is also active on a political level to stop the violence and protect civilians across Sudan.

“The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has been in direct contact with the warring parties,” Ms. Pobee said, adding that this included participating in close-quarter talks in Geneva in July and support for mediation efforts led by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland in August, as well as a visit to Port Sudan together with the UN Deputy Secretary-General to continue these efforts.

In addition, in resolution 2736 (2024), the Security Council called for further recommendations on the protection of civilians, which are currently being developed and will be presented in October.

Ms Pobee stressed that while the Sudanese government has the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians, “It is the duty of all warring parties to respect and fulfil their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law..”

She said that during the Geneva talks, RSF made unilateral commitments to the Secretary-General to strengthen the protection of civilians. She stressed that “RSF must honour its own commitments and take steps to implement them without delay.”

“A ceasefire agreement would be the most effective way to strengthen the protection of civilians. This applies to El Fasher and all of Sudan.”