“With fighters advancing on the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified: shelled, starving and without access to food, healthcare or safety.Fletcher said in a statement on Sunday.
He called for “an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, throughout Darfur and throughout Sudan,” stressing that civilians must be allowed safe passage and humanitarian workers must be protected.
“Safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed to reach all civilians in need,” he said. “We have life-saving supplies ready, but the escalation of attacks has made it impossible for us to get aid to them. Local aid workers continue to save lives under fire.“
City under siege
El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still under government control, has been under siege for more than a year.
According to media reports, the RSF – a paramilitary group that has been waging a brutal war against its former allies, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) – has claimed to have taken control of the city after seizing the headquarters of the army’s Sixth Division.
The Sudanese army has not yet commented, but the loss of El Fasher would be a major setback for government forces and a possible turning point in the civil war that has ravaged the country since April 2023.
The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing more than 11.7 million people, including 4.2 million who have fled as refugees to neighboring countries, according to UN figures.
Widespread civilian casualties
UN agencies have reported numerous civilian casualties and repeated attacks on medical facilities in the region in recent weeks.
At least 20 people were killed in attacks on a mosque and the Saudi hospital – the city’s last functioning medical center – earlier this month. This followed nearly 100 civilian deaths in September.
Hold perpetrators accountable
Fletcher condemned the continued attacks on civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations, and urged all parties to respect international law.
“Those responsible for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held accountable,” said
He also reiterated the obligations set out in Security Council resolution 2736 (2024), which calls for an end to the siege of El Fasher, the protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan.