United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed concern Monday over renewed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur’s city of El Fasher.
“Violence in & around El Fasher, Sudan, is having deadly consequences for children. A strike near a pediatric hospital killed 2 children & deprived many more of life-saving care,” Russell said on X.
“Further escalation could be catastrophic for 750K children in El Fasher. They must be protected,” she added.
Her remarks came after the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that dozens of civilians had been killed in renewed heavy fighting last Friday between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF soldiers in and around the city.
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over disagreements about integrating the RSF into the army.
The conflict has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, and clashes have killed nearly 16,000 people and displaced millions.