Residential areas, markets, hospitals and facilities housing evacuees were all affected, he said at a regular news conference in New York.
According to the UN migration agency (IOM), as many as 329,000 people have fled the last city under government control in Darfur in the past three months.
Civilians must be protected and those fleeing the fighting must be given safe passage, Dujarric said.
“It is crucial that the parties de-escalate to prevent further civilian suffering and allow life-saving assistance to continue to flow,” he stressed.
The response continues
“Meanwhile, we and our partners continue to work to meet these needs, including delivering medical kits to areas around El Fasher, including civilian assembly points.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is also stepping up nutritional support in the El Fasher displacement centres, and in the towns of Tawila and Dar as Salam in North Darfur.
UN humanitarian experts have also warned that fighting is escalating in Sennar state, close to the border with Ethiopia, causing further civilian suffering and more serious human rights violations.
Clashes between rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Force (RSF) militias have raged across the state, forcing more than 136,000 people to flee, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Assistance (OCHA).
Civilians face a range of protection risks, including widespread looting, and the RSF has reportedly occupied Sinja Teaching Hospital, using patients and staff as human shields and disrupting medical services.
Displacement has also spread to neighbouring states of Gedaref, Blue Nile and Kassala, and humanitarian organisations are stepping up their response, but aid teams warn that conditions in displacement sites are dire as the rainy season begins.
OCHA is already working with government authorities and humanitarian partners to respond to the crisis, but warns that the situation is worsening amid growing protection concerns, with civilians reporting looting of shops and markets and basic needs going unmet.
UN mission in South Sudan seeks agreement on electoral roadmap
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday issued a joint statement calling on parties to the long-delayed peace agreement to “reach agreement” on how best to hold free and fair elections in the world’s youngest country.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the African Union Mission in South Sudan and the regional coalition known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) began their statement by congratulating the country on its 13th independence anniversary.
But they called on the government and political opponents, who signed the so-called Revitalised Agreement on Conflict Resolution six years ago, to “clearly outline the electoral roadmap”.
Reflecting the “will of the voters”
They noted the numerous different positions that have been adopted and expressed on transitional arrangements and said that while it is the “sovereign prerogative” of South Sudan’s leaders to decide, the path to successful elections must proceed “in accordance with agreed processes, procedures and timelines.”
National elections are due to be held in December, but there is no agreement yet on the ground rules for going ahead with them.
A 2013-2018 war between government forces and rival militias left hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions displaced in South Sudan, and while some problems have been resolved, many remain unresolved.
The AU Mission, IGAD and UNMISS called on everyone to work together. “In this regard, partners reiterate their full support for all efforts to achieve peaceful, free, fair and credible elections that ultimately reflect the will of the voters.”
Human rights experts urge Brazil to protect indigenous rights amid controversial new law
The UN is calling on Brazil’s Supreme Court and Senate to protect indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and natural resources.
José Francisco Cali Tsai, an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, urged an immediate suspension of the new law, which could lead to land seizures and evictions from indigenous communities.
Kari Tsai praised Brazil’s Supreme Court for rejecting the principle of “marco temporal”, which would have required indigenous peoples to prove that they had occupied their lands on October 5, 1988.
But he said he was extremely concerned that new legislation had been rushed through Parliament that would effectively reinstate the principle.
Beyond the Limits
Human rights experts argued that the law violates international human rights standards that protect the rights of indigenous peoples without time limits.
He stressed the importance of indigenous lands for biodiversity and climate balance, and warned that mining, gold mining and cattle farming could cause significant environmental damage.
He also urged the Supreme Court to halt its implementation until the law is declared constitutional.
Special Rapporteurs and other human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council are independent of any Government, receive no remuneration for their services and act in their personal capacity.
