Stop the Massacre Unfolding in North Darfur: Urgent International Action is Needed to Protect Civilians and Health Facilities in El Fasher

The Darfur Women’s Action Group (DWAG) strongly condemns the horrific and indiscriminate attacks that have taken place in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, from Saturday, July 27 to Monday, July 29, 2024. These brutal assaults, carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support

Forces (RSF), have led to the tragic deaths and injuries of at least 97 civilians, targeting essential public infrastructure including hospitals, residential buildings, and places of worship.

According to local authorities, the acting Wali (governor) of North Darfur, El Hafiz Bakhit, has described the situation as “a true massacre,” with shells hitting public buildings, hospitals, and mosques. Particularly appalling was the bombardment of the Specialized Hospital for Women and Maternity, which suffered over 10 direct hits, yet remains the only operational hospital in the city. On Monday afternoon, RSF shelling of the Saudi Hospital resulted in the deaths of three

companions of patients, extensive damage to hospital wards, and additional casualties in the nearby Islamic complex, including at least three children. For over eight hours, the citizens of El Fasher endured relentless artillery fire, subsequently leading to the closure of markets and cessation of transportation.

The unconscionable violence resulted in the deaths of 97 individuals, including 43 children and 13 women, over three days. This violation of international humanitarian law demands immediate and decisive international action. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, condemned these “indiscriminate” attacks, stressing that civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and markets, should never be targeted. However, despite international outcry, effective action to safeguard civilians and restore peace remains insufficient.

For the past months, El Fasher has been encircled by armed groups with severe restrictions imposed on movement along key roads out of the city, effectively trapping families within the city. At the same time, a severe lack of humanitarian access and an inability to deliver commercial goods due to insecurity have led to a scarcity of essential services and skyrocketing

costs for food, water, and fuel. As such, the shellings in El Fasher pose a major catastrophe, endangering the lives and well-being of about 750,000 children in the city, and potentially millions more.

Since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in April 2023, Sudan has faced unprecedented levels of displacement and humanitarian distress. Over 10 million people have been displaced, with the healthcare system in critical condition due to 88 documented attacks on medical facilities. Vulnerable populations, particularly children, are suffering from severe malnutrition and lack of access to essential medical care. With over 330,000 people facing acute food insecurity in El Fasher, the situation is dire and compounded by restrictions on movement and a severe lack of humanitarian access.

We urge the international community to carry out swift and decisive intervention to prevent further atrocities in Darfur. Every hour without resolute action is another hour of suffering for the Sudanese people. We implore the international community to take the following steps to end the suffering and hold criminals responsible:

• Open unhindered humanitarian aid channels across Sudan to reach all those in need
• Urge U.S. leaders and the international community to lead a robust intervention to protect civilians, and to stop ethnic-based killings throughout Sudan
• Hold the regional enablers of the atrocities accountable, including regional and international actors like the U.A.E that are supplying funds and weaponry to the RSF
• Impose targeted sanctions on individuals, such as freezing assets, imposing travel bans sanctioning all businesses associated with the two warring generals in Sudan, and cutting the funding for weapons
• Pursue accountability for those most responsible for past and current genocide crimes, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan
• Provide support for women and civil society from historically marginalized Sudanese in order for their voices to be heard at all levels of the decision-making processes regarding solutions to the current crises

The time for condemnation alone is over; now is the time for concerted and meaningful intervention.

Thank you for your continued support! Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action. With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG president

And DWAG team