Nearly 500 civilians have been confirmed dead in North Darfur over the past two weeks, marking an alarming escalation in violence amid ongoing conflict in the region. The United Nations has condemned the situation, describing the reported fatalities and instances of widespread sexual violence as “horrifying.”
According to the UN human rights office, there were at least 481 recorded civilian deaths in North Darfur since April 10, with officials indicating that the actual death toll may be significantly higher. The state has emerged as a critical battleground in the armed conflict between the regular army, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The report highlights particularly grim statistics from the Zamzam displacement camp, where at least 210 civilians, including nine medical professionals, were killed between April 11 and April 13. Over the past week alone, at least 129 civilians have lost their lives in El Fasher city, Um Kedada district, and the Abu Shouk displacement camp.
The UN office also reported that dozens more have died due to severe shortages of food, water, and medical care, particularly in RSF-operated detention facilities. Many civilians are also reportedly perishing while attempting to flee the violence, often facing perilous conditions in their desperate search for safety.
The ongoing strife in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has been characterized as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis by aid agencies. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes, exacerbating the humanitarian situation. The displaced population is facing critical shortages and enduring dire conditions compounded by restrictions on access to essential humanitarian aid.
Furthermore, the agency highlighted a resurgence of “ethnically motivated attacks targeting specific communities” in Darfur, reminiscent of the brutal conflict that erupted in the region in 2003 and resulted in mass casualties and ethnic violence. UN rights chief Volker Turk has voiced his grave concerns about the rise in civilian deaths and reported sexual violence, calling the situation “horrifying.”
Turk noted that his office had received reports of people being abducted from the Zamzam IDP camp and of sexual assaults, including gang rapes, occurring both there and during attempts to escape violence. He also expressed alarm over ongoing attacks on humanitarian and medical personnel, warning that systems designed to assist victims are nearing collapse. Medical professionals face threats, and even essential water sources have been deliberately targeted.
“The suffering of the Sudanese people is hard to imagine, harder to comprehend and simply impossible to accept,” Turk asserted, underscoring the urgent need for international attention and response to the escalating crisis in Sudan.
