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UN Renews Call to Protect Civilians in Sudan

Moatinoon
The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the continued suffering of civilians in Sudan amid escalating fighting in several parts of the country. Reports indicate that at least 19 civilians were killed during a ground attack in the Jargira area of North Darfur State on Monday. The Sudanese Doctors Network also reported that 10 civilians were killed and nine others injured in a drone attack in Singa, the capital of Sennar State.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that violence continues to force people to flee their homes, stressing the urgent need for it to stop. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 8,000 people were displaced on Friday from villages in Kornoi locality in North Darfur, with some fleeing within the state while others crossed the border into Chad.

A food emergency is worsening in North Darfur State. UNICEF and its partners conducted a survey last month in the localities of Tina, Ambro, and Kornoi. The survey revealed levels of acute malnutrition far exceeding the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold of 15 percent. In Ambro, the survey found the highest levels of acute malnutrition, reaching 53 percent.

The United Nations renewed its call on all parties to immediately protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect international humanitarian law, and ensure rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained access for humanitarian assistance. It also urged donors to urgently increase funding to deliver life-saving aid.

In a related development, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is visiting Sudan from 14 to 18 January. He is scheduled to meet with authorities in Port Sudan, as well as representatives of civil society and the UN country team. He will also travel to Northern State, where he will visit Al-Afadh camp and meet with displaced people and humanitarian partners working on the ground.

Türk will hold two press conferences at the conclusion of his visit, one in Port Sudan and another during a stopover in Nairobi.