“When people go out of the area, they report widespread violence, sexual abuse, civilians sometimes being shot on sight,” said the director general of the United Nations migration agency.IOM), Amy Pope, during a briefing Wednesday.
Hiding from drones
“Many reported leaving the area and seeing dead bodies along the way..” She said she encountered women and children who had sometimes been walking for days, “hiding from the drones, carrying only their children.”
These statements come in a context of intensification and spread of violence in Sudan, following the capture, last month, of the regional capital El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from government troops, after more than 500 days of siege.
Ms Pope said the scale of the needs “coincides at a time when there have been unprecedented humanitarian reductions in humanitarian aid around the world”.
Less than 5,000 aid kits available
IOM provides shelter, basic dignity kits and cooking kits to those who need them most, but currently funding for this response is far below what is needed, Ms Pope warned, at just 8%.
Fewer than 5,000 kits were available in a warehouse in Port Sudan, and 35 IOM tents are being distributed.
Some countries and partners have requested additional information or sought data on the funding situation, but the scale of the needs is so great that the agency “I’m trying to catch up right now,” Ms. Pope said.
Joint humanitarian efforts
IOM liaises with the United Nations relief coordination office (OCHA) and the World Food Program (PAM) to secure resources.
“By visiting various regions of the country, we can provide the world with a complete picture of what needs to happen to support particularly vulnerable civilians who are fleeing violence.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher visited Sudan this week and is expected to brief journalists there on Monday.
Pope said that although IOM has trucks going to Tawila, a town about 60 kilometers from El Fasher, access is extremely limited and the agency provides support mainly to those who leave.
Many aid workers have also been victims of violence in recent months, with some injured or killed, Pope added.
Preparations for an “intensification of hostilities”
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned on Wednesday that the massacres of civilians do not stop.
Speaking to the French Senate, he said his office (OHCHR) continues to receive alarming reports that RSF is “committing criminal atrocities, including summary executions, sexual violence and other violations.”
He added that in the Kordofan region there were “clear preparations for an intensification of hostilities as killings and destruction increase.”
Mr. Türk urged countries to respect the Security Councilthe arms embargo on Darfur, emphasizing that the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and the return to civilian rule are the priorities.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
