UN Says ‘Nowhere is Safe’ for Civilians as Sudan War Descends Further into Chaos

The UN Security Council convened in New York on Tuesday to address the escalating crisis in Sudan, where civilians continue to endure severe suffering amidst brutal conflicts between rival military factions. 

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council in Geneva was briefed by independent investigators on the alarming human rights abuses taking place, highlighting the combatants’ blatant disregard for fundamental human rights and international law.

The conflict, which erupted last April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has plunged the country into political turmoil and a dire humanitarian emergency. 

The situation is marked by widespread human rights violations, with over 15,500 fatalities reported in approximately 1,400 violent incidents targeting civilians. 

Currently, nearly 9.5 million people are forcibly displaced within and outside Sudan, including 7.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 1.9 million refugees in neighboring countries.

The humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by severe food insecurity, with around 18 million people acutely food insecure and five million on the brink of starvation. 

Particularly vulnerable are pregnant women, with 7,000 new mothers at risk of death in the coming months if they do not receive adequate food and healthcare.

Dire Conditions in El Fasher

The situation is particularly grim in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur. Once a city of 1.5 million people, it now shelters an additional 800,000 IDPs and is under relentless bombardment. 

UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee reported to the Security Council that the city faces continuous aerial attacks and ethnic atrocities. 

"Civilians are in the line of fire. Nowhere is safe for them," she stated, calling for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation, as stipulated in Security Council resolution 2736.

Pobee emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in El Fasher to prevent further atrocities, protect critical infrastructure, and alleviate civilian suffering. 

She warned that without swift action, Sudan risks descending into more widespread ethnic violence and fragmentation, with a high risk of conflict spillover.

Humanitarian Aid Under Threat

Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), provided an update on the crisis's impact on civilians and relief efforts. 

Despite some improvements in access, such as visa approvals and travel permits, aid operations face significant challenges, including attacks on personnel. 

Six Sudanese aid workers have been killed in the past six weeks, bringing the total number of aid worker fatalities to 24 since the conflict began.

Wosornu also highlighted the severe funding shortfall for humanitarian aid. 

The $2.7 billion UN-led appeal has received only $441 million, just 16% of the required funds. 

She stressed the urgency of securing more funding to prevent massive loss of life in Sudan's unprecedented protection and food security crisis. 

"Every day that we wait for funding to come in, more lives are at risk," she warned.

Investigations and Appeals for Ceasefire

The Human Rights Council in Geneva heard from independent investigators probing human rights violations against civilians. 

Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for Sudan, reported credible accounts of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including airstrikes and shelling in residential areas and ground attacks in homes and villages. 

The FFM is also investigating mass killings in El Geneina and Ardamata involving the Masalit community.

Othman underscored the necessity of an immediate ceasefire to improve the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan. 

He emphasized that commanders must ensure their forces abide by international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and punish violators. 

Humanitarian workers must be allowed to operate without fear of attack, and aid delivery should be unobstructed to reach the millions in need across Sudan.

"The people of Sudan are crying for help to restore their dignity and rights. They need the support of this Human Rights Council," Othman concluded, urging the international community to heed these urgent calls for action.

Independent Investigations

The three-member independent Fact-Finding Mission was established by the Human Rights Council in October last year. 

Its mandate includes investigating and establishing the facts, circumstances, and root causes of alleged human rights and humanitarian law-related violations. 

The mission members, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo and Mona Rishmawi, along with Chair Mohamed Chande Othman, operate independently of the United Nations and receive no salary for their work.

The situation in Sudan remains dire, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict's devastation. 

The international community's swift and decisive action is crucial to averting further humanitarian catastrophe and ensuring the protection and dignity of the Sudanese people.