Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that before this latest attack, WHO had verified 285 attacks on healthcare in Sudan, with at least 1,204 deaths and more than 400 injuries among healthcare workers and patients, since the start of the conflict.
Former RSF allies and military government forces began fighting in and around the capital Khartoum in April 2023, a conflict that has since engulfed the entire country.
“All attacks on healthcare must stop immediately and unconditionally.”Tedros said demanding protection for all healthcare workers and civilians under international law.
Many civilians fleeing the RSF takeover have sought safety in Tawila, about 60 kilometers from the regional capital of El Fasher, which until a few days ago was the last city controlled by the government that had been resisting the RSF for more than 500 days.
Many have arrived in Tawila “dehydrated, injured and traumatized,” the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on social media. “The UN and aid organizations are providing life-saving support, but the violence must stop.”
“No child is safe”
“No child is safe,” said UNICEF chief Catherine Russell. “Although the full magnitude of the impact remains unclear due to widespread communications outages, The estimated 130,000 children in El Fasher are at high risk of serious rights violations, with reports of abduction, murder and mutilation, and sexual violence..”
There are also reports of aid workers detained or killed.
UNICEF calls for an immediate ceasefire to stop the violence, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, protection of civilians (especially children) and guaranteed safe passage for families seeking shelter, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
He said all those responsible for violations must be held accountable.
Red Cross workers murdered
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday expressed its deep regret over the murder of five local employees working as volunteers in Bara, North Kordofan state.
“We receive this news with deep shock and indignation and condemn in the strongest possible terms this horrible and senseless act,” a statement read.
The ICRC pledged to support ongoing humanitarian work across Sudan “fighting to defend the safety, dignity and protection of all people and communities” affected by violence.
More to follow…