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From Syria, UN refugee chief calls for greater solidarity with displaced people

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The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, sounded the alarm on Friday, World Refugee Day, in a message from Syria.

He said the abject failure to end conflicts – including in Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gaza – continues to create immense suffering. 

Difficulty seeking shelter

“Yet the innocent people who run for their lives as the bullets fly and the missiles rain down are unjustly stigmatised, making it harder to escape danger and to find somewhere to recover and rebuild,” he said.

Their situation is further compounded by brutal cuts to humanitarian aid, affecting millions who desperately need assistance. 

“At this critical juncture, it is vital that we reaffirm our solidarity with refugees – not just with words but with urgent action,” he said.

He added that inspiring examples already exists, from countries that continue to welcome and host refugees, to local communities that “open their homes, workplaces and hearts” to them, as well as “the countless individual acts of kindness and compassion that reveal our common humanity.”

Share the responsibility

Mr. Grandi said the international community can and must support these countries and communities by sharing the responsibility for protecting refugees, calling in particular for action by wealthier States, development banks, businesses and others.

The High Commissioner spent the Day in Syria, where some 600,000 people have returned from neighbouring countries after 14 years of war. Overall, more than two million Syrians have gone back to their homes and communities since the fall of the Assad regime last December.

“In a region that has suffered so much violence – and suffers even now – we are nonetheless presented with an opportunity to help Syrians achieve stability and prosperity. We must not let it pass by,” he said.

Mr. Grandi met Syrian families who spent more than a decade as refugees, whose deep joy at being among familiar faces and surroundings serve as reminder of refugees’ yearning for home. 

“Now more than ever, we must stand with refugees to keep alive their hopes of a better future,” he said. 

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Port Sudan: Aid officials call for greater protection as drone attacks continue

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The escalation is occurring as war grinds on between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who appear to be targeting airports in each other’s areas of control.

“Very concerned by ongoing drone strikes on Port Sudan,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher tweeted on Wednesday. 

“International humanitarian law must be respected. Constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

Suffering will worsen

The latest strikes in Port Sudan took place early on Tuesday morning, reportedly targeting the international airport and other infrastructure, including a fuel storage facility and a power transformer. 

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, issued a statement that day, saying the attacks “will deepen humanitarian suffering and needs, as well as exacerbate the already severe access and logistical challenges that humanitarian actors face in the delivery of urgently needed aid to the rest of the country.” 

She underlined that the airport is a “lifeline for humanitarian operations” as it is the primary entry point for aid personnel, medical supplies and other life-saving relief. 

“Moreover, the availability of fuel in Port Sudan is critical to the dispatch of humanitarian supplies to areas across Sudan in dire need of assistance,” she added.

She stressed that damage to critical infrastructure could also disrupt supply chains and increase the price of basic goods, thus worsening what is already the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Displacement and aid suspension

Drone attacks have also affected Kassala and River Nile states, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA.

Earlier this week, strikes near the airport in Kassala displaced about 2,900 people and led to the temporary suspension or relocation of some aid activities.

Meanwhile, River Nile state is still facing a power blackout following a drone strike on the transformer station in Atbara on 25 April. The outage is contributing to growing fuel and bread shortages and long lines at gas stations and bakeries.

Cease hostilities now

Ms. Nkweta-Salami noted that since January, attacks on infrastructure across Sudan, such as power stations, water sub-stations, and oil refineries, have caused widespread electricity outages and disrupted access to essential services, including safe drinking water, healthcare and food supplies. 

These are serious violations of international humanitarian law and “reflect a consistent failure to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution,” she said. 

“Every measure must be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects,” she said. “Once again, I call on all those involved in this conflict to cease hostilities.”

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Sudan: UN rights chief appeals for greater protection of civilians in besieged El Fasher

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“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” Volker Türk said in a statement calling for an end to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and former ally the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now in its third year.

He noted that three days ago, the RSF launched coordinated attacks from multiple directions on the North Darfur capital El Fasher and nearby Abu Shouk camp, killing at least 40 civilians.

Fear of more bloodshed

This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in the region to at least 542 in just the last three weeks, he said, although the actual death toll is likely much higher.

“My fears are all the greater given the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements,” Mr. Türk said.

“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El Fasher.”

Stop the fighting

Furthermore, reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state are also extremely disturbing, he added.

The High Commissioner said he has personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of the war. 

“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop,” he said.

Diplomatic efforts continue

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, was in Cairo this week where he met with senior Egyptian officials, including Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the Sudan crisis. 

“They shared the view that an inclusive Sudanese-led political path is needed to restore peace in the country, preserving the unity of Sudan, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking on Thursday in New York.

Mr. Lamamra also exchanged views with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, on coordinating efforts between the UN, the Arab League and concerned multilateral organizations to advance a lasting peace in Sudan.  

 

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