A senior United Nations official expressed deep concern yesterday regarding reports of heavy weapons being deployed in the ongoing conflict in El Fasher city in Sudan.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, stated that civilians have sustained injuries and have been transported to El Fasher Hospital.
Others have found themselves trapped amidst intense fighting as they attempted to flee the city situated in the Darfur region.
In a statement on the X platform, she noted that the utilization of heavy weapons and attacks in densely populated areas in central El Fasher and its environs have resulted in numerous casualties.
She urged all parties involved to refrain from engaging in combat within the city.
The UN official underscored that such violence poses a grave threat to the lives of over 800,000 individuals residing in the city.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced serious concern about the persisting conflict in Sudan on Saturday. In a post on X, he emphasized the urgent need for a cessation of hostilities and a coordinated international effort to facilitate a political process capable of restoring stability to the country.
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs confirmed on the X platform that skirmishes occurred on May 10 between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher, northern Darfur.
The clashes resulted in the deaths of approximately 27 individuals, with 130 others sustaining injuries and hundreds being displaced.
Residents informed Agence France-Presse that aircraft carried out bombings yesterday in the eastern and northern parts of the city, accompanied by reciprocal artillery shelling.
The UN disclosure of this toll, based on unconfirmed reports, coincides with the city experiencing an almost complete communication blackout.
This situation has left healthcare workers, humanitarian organizations, and rights groups unable to establish regular communication with the outside world, except in rare instances.
A medical source at El Fasher South Hospital reported that the morgue is overflowing with bodies.
