UN Sounds Alarm Over Humanitarian Crisis in El-Fasher; 260,000 Civilians Trapped

UN Sounds Alarm Over Humanitarian Crisis in El-Fasher; 260,000 Civilians Trapped
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The United Nations has issued a grave warning about the humanitarian crisis in El-Fasher, a city in Sudan’s North Darfur province, which is under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Arab News reported. With all supply lines cut off, approximately 260,000 people remain trapped, living in “desperate conditions,” according to the UN.

The ongoing conflict has turned El-Fasher, a key city and the last stronghold for the Sudanese military in Darfur, into an “epicenter of child suffering.” The UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, reports that of the trapped population, roughly half are children, with an estimated 6,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and at risk of death.

For over a year, fighting has raged between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which began in April 2023. This war has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, displacing over 14 million people and pushing regions of Sudan toward famine and disease.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described the situation as a “devastating tragedy,” stating that “children are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked.” She emphasized that blocking humanitarian access is a grave violation of children’s rights.

The UN is now urgently calling on the Sudanese government and all other parties involved to ensure “sustained, unimpeded, and safe access” for aid delivery. They are requesting an immediate and lasting humanitarian pause in El-Fasher and other conflict-affected areas to allow for the delivery of essential supplies like food, water, and medicine.