Denise Brown, the United Nations’ head of humanitarian operations in Sudan, expressed concern about the ongoing interruption of humanitarian support to the Sudanese city of El Fasher, which has lasted for more than 500 days due to military operations by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In an interview with UN News, Brown said: “The RSF kept civilians trapped in a place where they could not access food, which is equivalent to using starvation as a weapon of war.” She added that this situation underscores the importance of documenting violations to achieve justice and accountability in the future.
The UN official called for efforts to deliver relief aid and ensure that humanitarian workers can access the city to investigate reports of field executions against civilians.
Brown pointed out that the United Nations is actively engaged in dialogue with the Rapid Support Forces to access areas like El Fasher and Kadugli in Kordofan. However, she noted that the Secretary-General’s calls for safe passage for humanitarian workers have fallen on deaf ears.
The Rapid Support Forces announced last Sunday that they had gained full control over El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, after a siege lasting more than a year.
