A hundred humanitarian advocacy groups have called for the establishment of a safe passage zone for civilians trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher.
Sudan is currently in a state of civil war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the city has been under siege for over a year by the RSF.
It is believed there are around 260,000 people, half of them children, trapped within the city.
Reports on the ground indicate that the RSF has built walls around the outskirts of the city and that men and boys who try to escape are often killed.
The RSF has ignored a UN Security Council Resolution calling for an end to the siege and has turned two local refugee camps into military bases. El Fasher is the only city in Darfur that is not under RSF control.
The UN’s Human Rights Office has said that civilians within the city face the impossible choice of staying in the city and risking “bombardment, starvation, and atrocities if the RSF overrun the city; or flee[ing], and face the risk of summary execution, sexual violence, and abduction.”
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which was among the signatories of the letter, said it was gravely concerned about the current state of affairs in El Fasher and reports of churches and religious buildings being hit by shelling or used for military purposes.
The group’s Founder President, Mervyn Thomas, said, “We call for urgent action to ensure safe passage for civilians who would like to leave the city.
"We are also deeply concerned by the attacks on places of worship which, together with the reported use of such religious establishments for military purposes, constitute violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law.
"We continue to call on the international community to do all it can to pressure parties to the conflict to initiate an immediate, nationwide ceasefire.”
