More than 700 people have been killed in al-Fashir, North Darfur, since May, as relentless fighting devastates the region, according to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
In a statement on Friday, Türk urged the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to end their siege of the city.
“The siege and the relentless fighting are devastating lives every day on a massive scale,” Türk said. “This alarming situation cannot continue. The RSF must end this horrible siege.”
The U.N. rights office reported at least 782 civilian deaths and over 1,143 injuries since May, citing evidence from interviews with survivors and refugees. The casualties are linked to intense shelling of residential areas by the RSF and airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces. The U.N. warned these attacks on civilians may constitute war crimes.
Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have denied targeting civilians, instead accusing each other of such acts in al-Fashir and its surroundings.
The conflict, which has raged for more than 18 months, has created a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing over 12 million people and hampering relief efforts.
Al-Fashir remains a critical battleground between the RSF and the Sudanese army, with fears of ethnic violence should the RSF secure victory, as seen in West Darfur last year. The situation has worsened in recent weeks, with reports of an RSF attack on the main hospital earlier this month, killing at least nine people.
Nearby Zamzam camp, housing over half a million displaced people, has also been under RSF artillery fire, forcing thousands to flee amid reports of famine conditions.
Observers warn that without immediate international intervention, the humanitarian catastrophe in North Darfur could escalate further.
