UN OHCHR Warns Of Rising Civilian Casualty Toll Amid Sudan Crisis

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Sept 19 (KUNA) --Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Friday that the crisis in Sudan is worsening, as civilian casualties continue to mount amid intensifying violence during the first half of 2024.
According to a new report released by the OHCHR, which is based in Geneva, at least 3,384 civilians were killed between January 1 and June 30 as a result of the ongoing conflict. The vast majority of these deaths occurred in the Darfur region, followed by Kordofan and the capital, Khartoum.
The report highlights that these deaths account for approximately 80 percent of the total 4,238 civilian fatalities documented throughout 2024-though the actual figures are likely to be significantly higher, the agency warned.
The UN said that 70 percent of the reported civilian deaths occurred during active hostilities, as warring parties continued to carry out attacks in densely populated areas using artillery shelling, airstrikes, and drones.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk said that the conflict in Sudan is becoming a forgotten crisis and that the world must not turn a blind eye to the catastrophic situation, where numerous atrocities are being committed.
The report underscored that deliberate attacks on civilians and unlawful killings constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and the right to life under international human rights law.
Beyond the immediate human toll, the conflict has triggered what the OHCHR described as the world's largest humanitarian crisis. An estimated 24.6 million people are now facing severe food insecurity, while 19 million lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. The ongoing cholera outbreak has further compounded the crisis.
Commissioner Turk stressed the urgent need to end the violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and break the cycle of impunity that continues to fuel widespread abuse.
He also called on the international community to respond collectively to the worsening crisis, saying that the world's countries must use their influence to bring it to an end and to ensure rapid, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. (end)
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