🌍 UN humanitarians are raising the alarm after fresh reports of horrific abuses against people escaping El Fasher in North Darfur. As fighting rages on, civilians are facing executions, sexual violence and even mass graves near a mosque and the old children's hospital.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), local volunteers have tracked a disturbing pattern of systematic violations, including humiliation, extortion and attacks targeting anyone trying to flee the capital.
Satellite images analyzed by OCHA revealed at least two mass graves and multiple sites where bodies may have been disposed of. Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund says women and girls are particularly at risk, with cases of rape and abduction reported as they try to escape.
By Tuesday, nearly 82,000 people had fled El Fasher and nearby areas, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. Around 1,300 people with gunshot wounds have arrived in Tawila, a town about 40 km away, overflowing local medical facilities and resources.
Chad, to the west, has become a critical refuge, hosting 1.4 million people from Darfur, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). With another wave of arrivals expected, host communities are under growing pressure, and essential services like health, water and protection are stretched thin.
OCHA insists that civilians must be protected and calls for respect of international humanitarian law, along with urgent support to affected communities. 🙏
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UN humanitarians alarmed by violence against civilians in El Fasher
cgtn.com
