Summary executions, sexual violence in Sudan's El Fasher continue: UN

United Nations, Nov 4 (IANS) Over one week after the takeover of Sudan's El Fasher city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), summary executions and sexual violence against civilians reportedly continue, UN humanitarians said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations received credible reports of the crimes against civilians, including women and children, from within the barricaded North Darfur state's capital, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Hundreds of civilians, including humanitarian workers, have reportedly been killed, while large numbers remain trapped inside the city with little or no communication to the outside world," OCHA said. "The delivery of life-saving assistance remains blocked by the RSF, contrary to its obligation under international humanitarian law to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of such relief."

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that nearly 71,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since the city's fall on October 26, most to overcrowded camps in the town of Tawila, 40 kilometers away, while many new arrivals have reported killings, abductions and sexual violence along the way.

Conditions in Tawila are dire, with families living in the open or in makeshift shelters, food stocks running out and clean water scarce, said OCHA. "The UN and its partners are providing emergency assistance -- including daily meals, healthcare, water, sanitation, nutrition and psychosocial support -- but these efforts cover only a fraction of the needs due to funding constraints."

Violence in the Kordofan region has also sharply escalated, triggering large-scale displacement and civilian suffering, said the office, noting that grave violations, including the alleged summary execution of civilians, have been reported in North Kordofan's locality of Bara.

The IOM said that between October 26 and 31, approximately 37,000 people were displaced from Bara, Um Rawaba and surrounding villages. Civilians face mounting insecurity, food shortages and the destruction of basic infrastructure.

With just two months left in the year, the 2025 response plan for Sudan is only 28 per cent funded, with $1.17 billion received of the $4.16 billion required, said OCHA, calling for urgent, flexible funding to support the millions of people caught in the Sudan conflict.

--IANS

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