Tomorrow (9 August), the #UNSC will hold a briefing on #Sudan at the request of @UKUN_NewYork, the penholder on the file. SRSG and head of @UNITAMS @volkerperthes and @UNOCHA Dir. of Operations and Advocacy Division @EdemWosornu will brief.
— Security Council Report (@SCRtweets) August 9, 2023
📖 Read more: https://t.co/T90dj3bC6G
(Port Sudan, 09 August 2023): In the fourth month of the worsening conflict in Sudan, civilians – including refugees – continue to endure horrific violations. The killing and targeting of vulnerable people held hostage by this ongoing war are unacceptable and must stop immediately.
Many of those trapped by the fighting have been unable – and in some cases actively prevented – from seeking safety elsewhere. And those that can escape face other dangers: They are vulnerable to abuse, theft and harassment during their journeys to safer areas.
Last week, I met Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital Khartoum, until the fighting forced them to leave for the Wad Sharife settlement in Kassala state. They spoke of the dangers involved in leaving the capital and their fears of being harassed during the passage. All people fleeing the fighting in Sudan must be able to do so in safety. The Sudanese people, as well as refugees in the country, have the right to seek safety in Sudan or in neighbouring countries. I appeal to all parties to ensure this fundamental right is upheld.
In Khartoum, the killing of 28 refugees during heavy clashes on 25 June was yet another stark reminder of the horrors that refugee communities are facing. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to help refugees stranded in Sudan’s capital by providing protection counselling via hotlines and trying to find ways to safely relocate them whenever possible. But access is exceedingly difficult, and needs are growing by the day.
In West Darfur, we have received reports that some civilians trying to flee intense clashes in Sirba town on 26 July were prevented from crossing the border into Chad. UNHCR has also recorded a number of cases in which refugees trying to flee the flighting in Sudan, notably to return back home to South Sudan, have faced difficulties along the route.
The parties to the conflict in Sudan must ensure the safe passage of civilians fleeing violence in Khartoum, Darfur and other areas of active hostilities. This is what was agreed in Jeddah on 11 May by the signatories to the Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, and the parties must follow through on their commitments to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.
After sixteen weeks of conflict in Sudan, more than 4 million people have been displaced within the country and across borders into neighbouring countries. Over 71 per cent of the more than 3 million people internally displaced in Sudan fled from Khartoum state, according to the International Organization for Migration. Before this crisis, there were 1.1 million refugees in Sudan, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
My message as Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan is unequivocal: All civilians, including refugees and others, who are trying to escape conflict zones must be allowed to do so safely, without impediments, and under the protection of the parties to the conflict.
_____
For further information, please contact:
Amanda Price, amanda.price@un.org, +1 917 853 2839
[Ends]
