…. Call for urgent protection
UN Women has expressed deep alarm and condemned the escalating attacks on women, girls, and civilians in and around El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan.
The organisation, in a statement, described the situation as catastrophic, noting that for more than 500 days, women and girls have been subjected to siege, bombardment, and deliberate starvation.
According to reports, nearly 300,000 women and girls, about half of the 575,000 people trapped in the city, are surviving on animal feed and leaves amid acute hunger and insecurity.
UN Women said the recent takeover of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) marks a shift from siege to mass atrocity, with reports of killings, rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and abductions of women and girls.
Local medical networks, including the Sudan Doctors Union, have reported that over 2,000 civilians, among them many women and girls, have been killed in recent days.
On October 30, nearly 500 patients and their companions were allegedly killed in attacks on the Saudi Maternity Hospital, where women had sought refuge and medical care. There are also credible reports of attacks on health workers.
Satellite images and video evidence reportedly show burnt homes, desecrated bodies, and mass graves. Meanwhile, communications blackouts have hindered verification of atrocities and blocked humanitarian access, preventing aid agencies from delivering life-saving assistance to those trapped in the conflict.
Thousands of women and girls have fled toward Tawila Locality, which now hosts more than 300,000 internally displaced women and girls, accounting for almost 40 percent of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur. Severe shortages of food, shelter, and medical care persist in the area, the group lamented.
UN Women called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and ensure the protection of civilians, particularly women and girls.
The organisation urged for unimpeded humanitarian access and accountability for war crimes and sexual violence, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights laws.
It also appealed for increased funding for humanitarian appeals and women-led organizations, many of which remain under-resourced despite being on the frontlines of relief efforts.
Women are not only victims of this war; they are also agents of peace, resilience, and recovery. Their leadership and voices must be at the centre of all humanitarian, peacebuilding, and reconstruction efforts to restore peace and dignity in Darfur and across Sudan, UN Women emphasised.
The organisation further called on the international community to act with urgency and unity to stop the violence, protect civilians, and uphold the rights and dignity of women and girls in Sudan.
