Ahmad 
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed concern on Friday about the escalation of violence in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
Türk warned that the escalation would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and expressed “dismay” at what was happening, explaining that he held talks during the week with the leaders of the rival factions, urging them to avoid clashes that lead to further humanitarian deterioration and suffering for civilians in the area.
For its part, the Rapid Support Forces issued a statement in which it stated that its position on the El Fasher crisis is clear, noting that it has been keen since the beginning of the conflict to avoid any armed confrontations that extend their effects to civilians, and stressed its response to previous understandings to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
The statement condemned the air raids carried out by the Sudanese army, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of innocent people, in addition to the destruction of infrastructure and public and private facilities, stressing that these actions increase the suffering of the residents of El Fasher.
Some 800,000 people in El Fasher face a “serious and immediate risk” from the escalation in violence, while more than a third of Sudan’s population, about 17.7 million people, face acute food insecurity.
Some 4.9 million people are reported to be on the brink of famine, and 9 out of 10 people are classified in the fourth phase (emergency phase) of the Integrated Food Security Phase , living in conflict-affected areas.
A famine threatens Sudanese refugees in Chad