New York, February 4(Darfur24) The Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed deep concern about reports of summary executions of civilians in Khartoum Bahri, by fighters and militias allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations, said that many of the victims of these incidents are alleged to be originally from Darfur or Kordofan. He indicated that the United Nations Human Rights Office continues to verify these developments.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded all warring parties in Sudan of their obligations under international law, especially with regard to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The spokesman said in the daily press conference that Sudanese women, men and children are paying the price for the continued fighting.

The spokesman conveyed the Secretary-General’s renewed call for the parties to immediately cease fighting and take steps towards achieving the lasting peace that the Sudanese people desperately need and demand.

Deaths due to hunger

On the humanitarian front, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed grave concern about the continued attacks on civilians by parties to the conflict across Sudan.

It explained that reports indicate that 60 people were killed and 150 injured in the bombing of a crowded market and attacks on several residential sites in Omdurman, Khartoum State. It pointed out that civilian casualties occurred in attacks in North Kordofan and North and South Darfur.

Dujarric said that the office is particularly concerned about reports of continued attacks on the Abu Shouk camp for displaced persons, where a state of famine was declared last December.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nikwita Salami, condemned these indiscriminate attacks and called for an immediate end to the bloodshed.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed grave concern about the rise in cases of acute malnutrition in Khartoum State. It indicated that local reports indicate that more than 70 deaths related to hunger have occurred, most of them children.

In January alone, more than 1,100 cases of severe acute malnutrition were recorded in three neighbourhoods of Omdurman, underscoring the urgent need for food assistance and a cessation of hostilities.

Malnutrition rates are particularly high in areas where restrictions on humanitarian access have forced the closure of community kitchens, on which many families depend for survival.

The UN spokesperson stressed the urgent need for increased humanitarian funding and logistical support to continue the implementation of nutrition programmes and the operation of community kitchens to ensure that the most vulnerable – especially children and the elderly – receive adequate food, nutrition and health assistance.