Geneva (ICRC) – For over two and a half years, civilians in Al Fasher have been trapped in a besieged city where they have endured relentless fighting and an extreme deprivation of food, medical care and the essentials for survival.
As the fight for control over Al Fasher intensifies, thousands are fleeing their homes. Many more are unable to leave the city and are terrified about what may come next. Throughout the conflict in Sudan, we have repeatedly seen violence against civilians spike whenever control shifts. This abhorrent pattern must stop.
I call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, which are clear: civilians must be protected whether they leave or stay. They must have access to lifesaving aid and humanitarian workers must be able to safely reach those in need. Hospitals, homes and vital infrastructure must be spared from attack. Those no longer taking part in the fighting—the captured, the injured and the sick—must be treated humanely and with dignity.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 34 43, email: press@icrc.org
