Speaking from Nairobi to journalists in Geneva, Magango said numerous testimonies had been received from residents who fled in terror when the city fell and then “survived the threatening journey to Tawila, approximately 70 kilometers away”, a journey that takes three to four days on foot.
Overcrowded camps in Tawila
More than 36,000 people have fled since Saturdaymainly on foot, to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that It already houses more than 652,000 displaced people people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The RSF militia, which emerged from the genocidal violence of the Darfur conflict 20 years ago, has been engaged in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.
Sudan has become the scene of the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis ever recorded in the world. with around 14 million people displaced out of a population of 51 million. Famine is widespread and outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diseases are increasing.
The RSF took control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state after more than 500 days of siege, after forcing the Sudanese army to withdraw earlier this week.
Disturbing reports indicate the killing of sick and injured people inside the Saudi maternity hospital and in buildings in the Dara Jawila and Al-Matar neighborhoods, which were being used as temporary medical centers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 460 patients and companions were murdered during the alleged massacre.
“These extremely serious allegations raise urgent questions about the circumstances of these killings in what should be safe places,” Magango said.
He called for an independent, transparent and rapid investigation to ensure justice.
OHCHR has also received alarming reports of sexual violence by humanitarian partners on the ground. “At least 25 women were gang-raped when RSF forces entered a shelter for displaced people near El Fasher University.. “Witnesses confirm that RSF personnel selected women and girls and raped them at gunpoint,” Magango said.
The pattern of violence has also targeted humanitarian workers and local volunteers supporting vulnerable communities in El Fasher.
Attacks on doctors
The World Health Organization (WHO) has corroborated reports of attacks on health facilities and personnel, condemning the kidnapping of six health workers: four doctors, a nurse and a pharmacist. Saudi maternity hospital has been attacked five times in October alone.
Following the fall of El Fasher, the UN health agency is currently “unable to assist those affected by injuries sustained from multiple attacks on civilians,” explained Dr. Teresa Zakaria, head of WHO’s Humanitarian Operations Unit.
The WHO confirmed that 189 attacks have been verified in Sudan this year, causing 1,670 deaths and 419 injuries. “86 percent of all these attack-related deaths occurred this year alone and this indicates that attacks are becoming more deadly,” said Dr. Zakaria.
Huge funding gap
“To date, the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan is only 27.4 percent funded – a very, very big gap,” added Dr. Zakaria. “For the health sector itself, funding amounts to 37 percent, so we are struggling a lot with resources. That’s why We call on the international community not to abandon the people of Sudan, because the main actors are our Sudanese organizations, which continue to be present and provide assistance.”.
With the capture of El Fasher, the RSF’s territorial control now extends across Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) controls the capital, Khartoum, and much of the north and center of the country.