According to the UN Human Rights Office, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk held separate phone calls with Sudanese Armed Forces Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagaro on Tuesday. Leads a rival rapid support force.
diplomatic approach
OHCHR spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani noted that Turkey’s High Commissioner for Human Rights had previously approached the rival generals in November 2022, urging the Turkish prime minister to act immediately and publicly against both to de-escalate the situation. He said he urged it.
“He warned the two commanders that they were fighting in El-Fasher, an internally populated area of more than 1.8 million people. Currently, the victims are surrounded, A situation where famine is imminentIt will have a devastating impact on civilians and deepen inter-communal conflict with disastrous humanitarian consequences,” Mr. Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
“He reminded commanders of their obligations under international humanitarian law to strictly adhere to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, to put an end to all ongoing violations and to ensure accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and international humanitarian law. “These are rights laws perpetrated by their respective armies and allies.”
13 months of fierce battle
The 13-month war in Sudan has left half the population in need of humanitarian assistance. That’s a whopping 25 million people, including 14 million children. Millions of people continued to become refugees, becoming more vulnerable each time. Aid teams have repeatedly warned of approaching famine as the rainy season approaches.
The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed concern about the impact of the ongoing conflict across Sudan, while highlighting the dire situation affecting civilians as violence escalates around El Fasher in Darfur.
OHCHR said at least 58 civilians have been killed and 213 others have been reported dead since fighting dramatically escalated in North Darfur villages last week.
Disease and famine are coming
Echoing concerns about the emergency, the United Nations relief and coordination office OCHA warned that disease was looming and people were “on the brink of famine.”
The UN-coordinated response plan aims to reach and support the 15 million most affected people, but $2.7 billion is urgently needed to do so.
Humanitarians have now received only 12% of total funding and warned that without an immediate injection of funds, relief teams “will not be able to scale up in time to stop famine and prevent further poverty.”
He added that the funds will be used “to ensure more food, health care, shelter, water and sanitation, as well as to prevent sexual and gender-based violence, support victims and support the reopening of schools.” “Out-of-school children”.
Women collecting water at Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda.
fled to Uganda
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also emphasized the need for sufficient funding as increasing numbers of Sudanese seek refuge in neighboring Uganda.
There are currently more than 33,000 people in the country, of whom 19,000 have arrived in the capital, Kampala, since January.
Uganda already hosts 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers, the largest number in Africa. On average, 2,500 people arrive in the country every week, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
Despite this, Uganda remains one of the top 13 underfunded operating countries globally, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.
severe lack of funds
Humanitarians are seeking $858 million this year to support 1.6 million internally displaced people and 2.7 million people in host communities, but have received only 13% of the funding needed.
UNHCR warned that continued influxes of people fleeing conflict and lack of funding were putting pressure on protection and support services provided to refugees and the communities hosting them.
The healthcare sector has already been hit hard by reduced workforce numbers and insufficient supplies to meet critical needs. Overcrowded schools and a lack of teachers and educational materials make it difficult for refugee children to receive an education.
Moreover, vital protection services have been affected by long delays in registering refugees due to a lack of materials and equipment needed to facilitate the process.
Last week, senior UNHCR and Ugandan officials visited key partners, including the governments of Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as European Union institutions, to highlight the impact of reduced funding and advocate for additional resources.
