Heads up: UN humanitarians are alarmed 🚨 by disturbing reports of violence against civilians fleeing El Fasher in North Darfur.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says there's been an uptick in atrocities – executions, sexual violence, humiliation, extortion, and more – after the Rapid Support Forces took the city last week.
Satellite images revealed at least two suspected mass graves near a mosque and the former children's hospital, plus other possible body disposal sites 😔. The UN Population Fund reports that women and girls faced rape, abduction, and other extreme violence while escaping.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warns nearly 82,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since its fall on October 26.
Local clinics in Tawila – about 40 km from El Fasher, roughly the commute from Jakarta to Bogor – have treated around 1,300 people with gunshot wounds, according to OCHA. The town has become a major hub, but resources are stretched thin.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) notes that Chad, already hosting 1.4 million refugees mainly from Darfur, is bracing for another influx. "Critical sectors like health, water, sanitation, and protection are under-resourced," UNHCR says, threatening more hardship.
OCHA calls for an immediate halt to hostilities and urges all parties to uphold international humanitarian law – protect civilians and ensure safe, unhindered access for aid workers. 🌍❤️
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Reference(s):
UN humanitarians alarmed by violence against civilians in El Fasher
cgtn.com
