UN Issues Warning About Imminent Human Rights Crisis in Al-Obeid, Sudan
The United Nations has issued a warning about an impending human rights catastrophe in Sudan’s al-Obeid, urging immediate international action to safeguard civilians.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has expressed concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Sudan’s city of al-Obeid, indicating that another human rights crisis is emerging as violence escalates in the key capital of North Kordofan.
During an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday, Turk stated that the warning signs were “clear and unmistakable,” urging for prompt international action to avert further suffering.
The emergency debate was called at Britain’s request after reports indicated that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied fighters are gathering around al-Obeid, heightening concerns about a significant escalation in the conflict and the potential for widespread atrocities.
Turk stated that civilians in the city have faced siege-like conditions for the past 18 months, with access to clean water becoming critically low amid ongoing drone strikes as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF persist in their struggle for control of the surrounding areas.
As reported by the UN Human Rights Office, a minimum of 45 civilians lost their lives and 41 others sustained injuries due to 15 drone strikes conducted in and around al-Obeid from June 6 to June 28.
The UN rights chief urged the international community to respond promptly, cautioning that the rising violence and worsening humanitarian crisis endanger the lives of countless civilians caught in the conflict.
